This is a lesson about landing site selection. Learners will work in teams to determine a landing site for their Mars Rover that best relates to their scientific question. They use technology skills to research Gale Crater through an online... (View More) interactive module and learn about features of Mars through use of Google Earth Mars. The lesson uses the 5E instructional model and includes: TEKS Details (Texas Standards alignment), Essential Question, Science Notebook, Vocabulary Definitions for Students, Vocabulary Definitions for Teachers, three Vocabulary Cards, and a Mini-Lesson. This is lesson 8 of the Mars Rover Celebration Unit, a six week long curriculum. (View Less)

Learners will record detailed observations of a simulated surface and core sample of Mars, analyze a simulated surface and core sample of Mars, compare and contrast an unknown foreign object with the surface and interior of Mars, and learn... (View More) preliminary facts about Mars, its surface, and its place in the Solar System. The lesson uses the 5E instructional model and includes: TEKS Details (Texas Standards alignment), Essential Question, Science Notebook, Vocabulary Definitions for Students, Vocabulary Definitions for Teachers, three Vocabulary Cards, and a Mini-Lesson. This is lesson 2 of the Mars Rover Celebration Unit, a six week long curriculum. (View Less)

This is an activity about the planet Mars. Learners will create cratered surface models illustrating different lengths of time. Then, they will compare their models with three different surface images of Mars, placing these images in order from... (View More) youngest to oldest based on the evidence. Learners will discover that the oldest surface has the most craters, while also discussing what events could make a surface on a planet both half-craters and half-smooth. (View Less)

This is an activity about critical observation skills. Learners will receive an egg to record its features from various vantage points, illustrating their size, shape, and location. They will then try to identify and recognize the surface features... (View More) of another group's egg. This allows them to look more carefully where variations are not immediately apparent. This is Activity C-7 of Universe at Your Fingertips 2.0: A Collection of Activities and Resources for Teaching Astronomy DVD-ROM, which is available for purchase. (View Less)