Lesson Main Question: What is the best site to plan for a base on Mars?
Lesson Title: The Martian Samples I: Selecting Sample Sites (90 min)
Student Section
The Story so Far
The tech billionaire Leon Tusk has a new passion: Mars! After the ESA scientists gave him an exclusive presentation, he was so happy with your efforts that he proposed a collaboration to build a colony. This solves a funding problem you have been having, so the board of directors are thrilled!
First things first: you need to scope out a site for a base on Mars.
Demands for a Base on Mars
Brainstorm with your classmates about what factors are crucial for selecting a base on Mars. Think about ease of landing & getting around, energy needs, building materials, water, protection, etc.
ESA explains
Your colleagues from ESA’s Science & Resource department has prepared a list of scientific and resource interests on Mars and how to see them from satellite imagery.
ESA guidelines: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b6tcNnLhjqSuBkUCR_aJTZeg0nSFB6FlxGzpTZNpZO4/edit#heading=h.uz4h7967ppo7
NASA Joins in
NASA has heard that you are working on creating a base on Mars. They have been wanting to do so for many years. They share a list of landing sites they have an interest in for a myriad of reasons. They offer to help with funding if the mission has a strong, scientific focus. They also require that general landing spot guidelines are followed.
List of landing sites, general requirements, and link to abstracts: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1khieRqaD67Cak6pngwk3ZBqZUo1txUjAZDKLJXpkkPM/edit#heading=h.uz4h7967ppo7
Mars Trek worksheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/18I3uM82Qq1Ypp1bXbyJPgX5c1MUTck-785kbQYJALrk/edit
Study landing sites
Using everything you know and have been suggested evaluate your chosen landing site – is this a good place to create a base on Mars? Would you be able to sustain a presence at the chosen landing site? Is there a scientific interest to having a base right here? Begin to work on a presentation, so you can present your findings later.
Follow-up
In 1 or 2 minutes talk about what you are working on and how it is going.
Resources
[Links here]
Teacher Section
Description of Lesson
In their role as scientists at ESA, the students are tasked with finding a suitable site for a Mars base. They will utilize NASA’s MarsTrek online tool, which overlays various data onto maps of Mars.
Ultimately, ESA will send collection units to Mars in order to analyse dirt samples.
It is important that students not only determine what they are searching for, but also why. For instance, they could be looking for water, which can be used both for creating on-site building materials, as well as for running the base. But other things could factor in, such as energy (will they be using lithium batteries? Sun cells? Wind energy?) or even mining.
The lesson culminates with students collectively deciding on sample sites within a time-constrained scenario, as a forthcoming window for sending probes to Mars looms.
Materials List for Lesson
– MarsTrek online tool (https://trek.nasa.gov/mars/)
– List of maps suitable for investigating different demands on Mars Trek (see worksheet)
– Peer assessment rubric (see worksheet)
A New Twist (5 min)
Playing the role of chief scientist, present the latest events of the storyline:
It turned out that Mr. Tusk ended up supporting ESA. It is revealed that Mr. Tusk wants to join forces with ESA to establish a base on Mars as quickly as possible. A number of missions are projected to go to Mars, and the goal is to figure out optimal placements of a base as quickly as possible. Time is of the essence, since the window for sending probes to Mars is closing.
Demands for a base on Mars (35 min)
Ask the students what demands they can imagine for the placement of a base on Mars. Likely answers would be 1) not too far off the equator (to decrease need for heating), 2) proximity to water, 3) proximity to building material, 4) sheltering from storms, 5) a place where solar panels might work. The students might also be guided towards the need for batteries – and thereby lithium (a callback can be made for why Mr. Tusk wanted them to be able to detect lithium in the lesson about the mystery materials).
Analyzing Mars (35 min)
The students are now directed to an interactive map of Mars (https://trek.nasa.gov/mars/) where they use the criteria found in the previous activity to find suitable spots. Student groups are directed to different maps (see website for details) and their task is to find the best place to place a base given the map. (If the teacher wants to challenge students more, a supplemental activity could be to have students look at images from previous Mars missions and select the types of samples they would want.)
Your job as chief scientist is to circulate the roo, asking questions that will encourage students to draw there own conclusions.
Sample questions: What do you know about Mars? Does the planet have an atmosphere? What about radiation? What do you think could be a good source of energy? Does Mars have water? In your opinion, what are the biggest problems that human beings would experience if we were to live on Mars?
Presenting Analyses (20 min)
Groups present their analyses.
Selecting Sample Sites (15)
Based on what the class knows (and do not now), the class selects different sample sites. The teacher stresses that more samples in the vicinity of each other may be needed.
Intended Learning Oucomes
Students practise:
1. Devising and experimentally validating hypotheses, using the MarsTrek tools.
2. To gather, scrutinize, and construe collected data.
3. To chronicle and exhibit scientific discoveries, while proficiently employing scientific terminology.
Resources relevant to neutron scattering techniques
[Link to Kim’s article here]
[Link to Wikipedia entry here]
Expected Products from Lesson
Student analysis of Mars sites.