Mission to Mars

8-10 yrs old

11-13 yrs old

14-18 yrs old

18+ yrs old

Climate & Environment

Science

Technology

Students will work together to plan a trip to Mars and then build a sustainable colony with limited resources on real Martian terrain.

Submitted By: Chris Fuge

November 20, 2020

Lesson Plan
My Notes

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Skills

Collaboration
Communication
Critical Thinking

External References

Mission to Mars Webpage

My website with all the files needed, a promo video and more information on the project.

Supporting Files

Mars Lesson Plan

Instructions for lesson as well as teacher notes to assist students if needed.

Learning Objectives

Understand how to survive on Mars and what dangers one would face.
Understand how to create a sustainable colony on Mars.
Learn to work collaboratively with 5-6 students to complete a variety of tasks.
Use critical thinking to decide how to allocate limited resources to build a colony capable of responding to potential challenges and setbacks.

Guiding Ideas

NASA (and other private organizations) are already planning missions to send humans to Mars in the next 10-20 years. That means students of TODAY will likely be the first to visit Mars and ultimately begin setting up a permanent colony on the red planet. This activity will simulate what it would be like to be one of those astronauts.

Student Activities

RESEARCH:
You may want to split your team into 3 groups to research 3 main questions:
1) How to survive on Mars/what potential dangers do we face, climate on Mars
2) How to build a basic shelter/base on Mars
3) How to build a sustainable colony on Mars

Click HERE for Student Research Worksheet

PLANNING:
Using notes from your research, discuss AS A TEAM, what items/supplies you would need to bring to Mars for each of the 3 questions (there will likely be some overlap). Then make a final list of 27 items (ONE CHEST) to bring with you to Mars. Load them into the chest in the Cargo Hold of the rocket.
They will be in creative mode for this part.

BUILDING:
Students will land on Mars and begin working AS A TEAM with limited resources (one chest) to construct an initial base camp on Mars and then expand it to a sustainable colony.
They will be on survival mode for this part.

Performance Expectations

Use a slideshow program (PPT, Google Slides, Sway…) to create a presentation about your research questions. You will share your presentation with the class.

Use the camera and portfolio in Minecraft, or screenshots/screen recording to showcase your completed colony. Add written explanation of what your team built and what each structure will be used for.

Write an argumentative essay about whether or not you would want to be a colonist on Mars and explain why.