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Students use the research topic questions generated in the earlier lesson entitled, “Mars Image Analysis,” to refine testable questions and develop hypotheses. The lesson is part of the Mars Education Program series; it models scientific inquiry... (View More) using the 5E instructional model and includes teacher notes and vocabulary. Next Generation Science Standards are listed. (View Less)
Become a crime scene investigator! Learners model Dawn Mission scientists, engineers, and technologists and how they use instrumentation to detect distant worlds. After a briefing to build context, students explore interactions between different... (View More) frequencies/wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum and matter as they investigate the different ways scientists gather and understand remote sensing data, using Dawn instruments as examples. This module is organized around a learning cycle, engaging students through several experiences to activate students' prior knowledge and assess conceptual understanding, informing next steps. (View Less)
In this game, students use the accompanying "playing cards" to plan a mission to Mars. The mission must produce significant science returns while also meeting several constraints such as budget, mass and power. The lesson is part of the Mars... (View More) Education Program series; it uses the 5E instructional model and includes teacher notes, rubrics, student worksheets, background information, playing cards and the playing board. Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are listed. (View Less)
This activity is a short engineering design challenge to be completed by individual students or small teams. A real-world problem is presented, designing buildings for hurricane-prone areas, but in a simulated way that works in a classroom, after... (View More) school club, or informal education setting. Students are given simple materials and design requirements, and must plan and build a tower as tall as possible that will hold up a tennis ball while resisting the force of wind from a fan. After the towers are built, the group comes together to test them. If there is time after testing, which can be observational or framed as a contest between teams, students can redesign their towers to improve their performance, or simply discuss what worked well and what didn’t in their designs. (View Less)
Materials Cost: $1 - $5 per group of students
Learners will simulate the challenges in communications that engineers face when operating a Mars rover from Earth. They will participate as part of a rover team to design and execute a series of commands that will guide a rover (comprised of four... (View More) students walking closely together) through an obstacle course simulating the Martian surface. Students will learn the limitations of operating a planetary rover and problem solving solutions by using this simulation. The lesson is part of the Mars Education Program series; it models the engineering design process using the 5E instructional model and includes teacher notes, vocabulary, student journal and reading. Next Generation Science Standards are listed. (View Less)
This problem-based learning module asks students to consider how future climate change could impact the frequency and intensity of hurricanes. They are tasked with studying the trends and impacts of hurricanes on coastal regions. They proceed by... (View More) conducting an Earth system analysis, examining connections and causal chains of impact that are set in motion by the hurricane throughout the Earth's atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere. Teacher notes, rubric, and background resources are included. The student pages are available as a separate page that can be printed or displayed on a computer. (View Less)