Page 29 - ShareSpace's Mars Map Teacher's Guide - Sept 2016

GRADE LEVEL(S)

4–6

LENGTH

Between one and five 45-minute lessons at teacher’s discretion

MATERIALS

 Giant Destination Mars Map
 History of Mars Exploration PowerPoint

(http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/pdf/History_of_Mars_Exploration.ppt)
 Mars Past, Present, & Future: The Mystery of Mars, Sally Ride & Tam O’Shaughnessy;

ISBN 0-51770971-6
 Mars Time: The Year That Was and the Decade to Come (video);

http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/video/movies/MarsTimeFullCap.mov
 Mars Exploration Images & Videos from NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers website

(http://mars.nasa.gov/mer/gallery)
 Posterboard
 Crayons, markers, colored pencils, etc.

VOCABULARY

 Flyby
 Orbiter
 Lander
 Rover

ESSENTIAL QUESTION(S)

How has our exploration of Mars progressed? What have we learned from each Rover
mission?

LESSON OBJECTIVE(S)

Students will learn:
 The sequencing of Mars exploration missions
 What we have learned from each mission

ENGAGEMENT

1. Robotic spacecraft have been sent to study Mars up close since Mariner 4 in 1965. Through
their successes and failures, we have greatly expanded our knowledge of Mars. In this
activity, students will research a past, present, or future mission to Mars and share their
findings with the class. The class will then create an overall Mars exploration timeline.

2. Have students sit on the Mars Map while introducing them to Mars robotic exploration using
the History of Mars Exploration PowerPoint. Use the provided script for additional assistance
in discussing Mars exploration.

EXPLORATION

1. Divide class into groups.

Giant Destination Mars Map Teacher’s Guide
Lesson 4 P. 1