This lesson plan teaches how to select the landing site for a planetary surface investigation, using the 5E learning cycle. Students will be able to determine a landing site for their Mars rover; work with their team to summarize information and... (View More) identify important details in non-fiction writing; research Gale Crater through an online interactive module; use Google Earth Mars to learn about Mars surface features; gather and analyze data to conduct a scientific experiment; collect and record data in a science notebook to draw logical and scientific conclusions; define and identify the role of controls and variables in teams’ scientific or technical questions; and differentiate between weather and climate. The lesson plan has a number of appendices, including standards alignment. This is Lesson 8 of the elementary school version of the 6 week Mars Rover Celebration curriculum. (View Less)

This lesson plan uses the 5E learning cycle and is designed around an essential question: How do I know when I’ve found important information in my reading? Learning objectives include: identify important details in informational texts; learn and... (View More) or review summarizing skills, work collaboratively to locate important information about Mars such as terrain, climate, and atmosphere; understand the rationale and importance of note-taking; develop effective note-taking strategies; and apply note-taking skills to record key information in students’ science notebooks. The lesson plan has a number of appendices, including standards alignment. This is Lesson 4 of the elementary school version of the 6-week Mars Rover Celebration curriculum. (View Less)

This lesson plan uses the 5E learning cycle and is designed around an essential question: Why is the method you chose for landing your Rover on Mars the best one for your mission? The lesson objectives include: examine different methods for landing... (View More) rovers on Mars; determine which landing strategy is best suited to land the team’s rover; research solutions to different problems that may occur once the rover lands on Mars; learn how to write in a persuasive manner; and present a well-written persuasive argument to teammates. The lesson plan has a number of appendices, including standards alignment. This is Lesson 10 of the elementary school version of the 6-week Mars Rover Celebration curriculum. (View Less)

In this lesson, students participate in a skit presenting a mock-up of a planetary surface rover they designed. Students will be able to: demonstrate their knowledge of Mars and rovers by presenting their team skit; present their rover, its... (View More) requirements and features to the class; answer questions asked by the class based on research conducted during the unit; incorporate feedback from others and ideas from other presentations into student work. The lesson plan has a number of appendices, including: standards alignment, essential question, and exit ticket. This is Lesson 15 of the elementary school version of the 6-week Mars Rover Celebration curriculum. (View Less)

In this lesson, students will design a planetary surface rover to conduct a planetary surface investigation. It uses the 5E learning cycle and is designed around an essential question: How will creating a prototype of your rover help you prepare for... (View More) the Mars Rover Celebration? The lesson objectives are to: learn about scientific careers to gain a better understanding of a sampling of careers that have contributed to designing and developing Curiosity; draw a detailed, final-design sketch/diagram of the rover that will be built; identify missions, requirements and features of the rover using labels and captions when necessary. A number of appendices are provided, including standards alignment. This is Lesson 12 of the elementary school version of the 6-week Mars Rover Celebration curriculum. (View Less)

Developed as a planetarium show, this video describes the unique environment of our solar system planets and a few satellites, along with some of the challenges and possible solutions for potential human habitation on each. Two versions of the video... (View More) are available through links on the site - a kids version (18 minutes, suitable for grades 2-5) and a more advanced version (22 minutes, designed for middle/high school). Both are applicable to school and/or general audiences. Information on purchasing the DVD's in both English and Spanish for large audience presentations is included. (View Less)