This lesson introduces students to Mars' history through research and discussion. Students read about the history of Mars, Mars observing, and exploration with telescopes and robotic spacecraft. After learning about Mars, students consider how some... (View More) aspects of our early understanding of Mars included fictitious ideas not based upon science and discuss the differences between science fiction and science fact. Students will illustrate a scene from Mars history with a paragraph description, and place their work along a clothesline in the classroom to create a timeline. This lesson is from “Red Planet: Read, Write, Explore!” which uses literacy, art, and creative expression as a vehicle for learning about Mars science and exploration. Includes alignment to Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts. (View Less)

In this concluding activity, learners will use notes from an earlier lesson to write a nonfiction piece about Saturn or Cassini. These final projects provide a way for children with varying learning styles to consolidate and share their learning.... (View More) This is lesson 12 of 12 in the Mission to Saturn Educators Guide, Reading Writing Rings, for grades 3-4. (View Less)

This is a lesson about Saturn's largest moon, Titan. Learners will examine and sort through images of Saturn's varied moons to see characteristics they share and those which set them apart. Students will write a paragraph about Saturn’s moons and... (View More) explain how they sorted them. This is lesson 8 of 10 in "Reading, Writing & Rings!" for grades 1-2. (View Less)

Learners will organize their knowledge of Saturn and Cassini to prepare to write one of the following types of nonfiction for their final piece: descriptive (poetry), compare and contrast, or summary. This is lesson 11 of 12 in the Mission to Saturn... (View More) Educators Guide, Reading Writing Rings, for grades 3-4. (View Less)

Learners will use drawing and writing to explore the comparative features of Saturn and Earth. To scaffold student writing, the lesson includes a drawing activity, a brainstorming activity, a structured Cloze activity, and a chance for independent... (View More) writing where students create their own analogies. This is lesson 6 of 10 in the Mission to Saturn Educators Guide, Reading Writing Rings, for grades 1-2. (View Less)

This is a lesson about spacecraft design. Learners will hear the NASA solutions to the problems they wrote about in an earlier lesson. They will then write a nonfiction piece comparing their spacecraft to Cassini, and share their writing with the... (View More) class. This introduction to design prepares students for the task of trying to design a working model of a probe to land on Saturn’s moon, Titan. This is lesson 7 of 12 in the Mission to Saturn Educators Guide, Reading Writing Rings, for grades 3-4. (View Less)