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Overview:
This lesson asks students to research the types of technology that are used to map and explore Mars. Students will imagine that they are working as "technology experts" for NASA, and will create visual presentations to show the American public the types of technology that their tax dollars are funding for Mars mapping and exploration.
Connections to the Curriculum:
Geography, earth and space science
Connections to the National Geography Standards:
Standard 1: "How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective"
Time:
Four to five hours
Materials Required:
- Computer with Internet access
- Drawing materials
- Large pieces of construction paper
Objectives:
Students will
- describe methods and technologies for mapping Earth, using examples from the Internet;
- hypothesize the methods and technologies that could be used to map Mars;
- view pictures of the surface of Mars, and list the landscape features they see;
- research and answer questions about the technology used to map and explore Mars and the differences between the Martian geology and climate and that of Earth;
- draw maps of Mars; and
- illustrate their maps with pictures and descriptions of the technology used to create the maps and explore Mars.
Geographic Skills:
Acquiring Geographic Information
Organizing Geographic Information
Analyzing Geographic Information
S u g g e s t e d P r o c e d u r e
Opening:
Ask students to describe the methods and technologies they think would be necessary to map a remote location on Earth. For example, if they wanted to map an unexplored part of Antarctica, what technologies might they use? They can see examples of these technologies at the USGS site, in the Remote Sensing Research section.
Ask students to imagine that they have been asked to create maps of Mars. What technologies would they need to use? What added difficulties do they think they would face in this endeavor, as compared to mapping remote parts of Earth?
Development:
Have students look at the images of Mars at National Geographic's Return to Mars site, and ask them to list the landscape features they see.
Ask students to imagine that NASA has hired them to be "technology experts" to consult on an upcoming expedition to explore Mars. The expedition will attempt to find out as much new information as possible about the planet's topography, geology, and potential for supporting life. Students will need to learn about the technology that is being used to explore and map Mars and prepare visual presentations to explain to the American public the types of equipment NASA will use to conduct its research (after all, American taxpayers are footing the bill and want to know as much as possible about what they are funding).
Have students go to National Geographic's Return to Mars site and NASA''s Mars Exploration Homepage (click on "Technology") and answer the following questions:
- What specific equipment is necessary for a successful mission to and exploration of Mars? List the equipment, and provide a brief description of what it does and why it's necessary.
- What are the major differences between the geology and climate of Mars and Earth? Why is special technology needed to study these features of Mars as opposed to Earth?
Ask students to go to the Mars imagery at the MapMachine and zoom in on a portion of the Martian landscape. Ask them to draw their own map of Mars, including the features they see at this online map.
Closing:
Ask students to explain in a class discussion how these images of Mars were created. What technology was used, and how does this technology work?
Suggested Student Assessment:
Have students create visual presentations that could be used to educate the general public about the technology used to map and explore Mars. Have students glue their maps onto larger pieces of construction paper so that there's a border of several inches around the map. Ask them to use the border to draw pictures of the types of technology that would have been used to create the map of Mars and to conduct further investigations of Mars' surface.
Next to each picture, ask students to write captions explaining the purpose of the technology and the things it can teach us about Mars.
Extending the Lesson:
Have students write paragraphs comparing and contrasting the technology and processes used to map Earth versus Mars. They should discuss the reasons why Mars requires different types of equipment and processes, as well as point out the ways that mapping the two planets is similar.
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