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Overview:
This lesson has students compare the landscapes of Mars and Earth and explore why the two planets are so different. They will conclude by writing letters convincing fictitious family friends that it is probably not a good idea to invest in Martian real estate.
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:
Three hours
Materials Required:
- Computer with Internet access
- Writing materials
Objectives:
Students will
- name the planets of the solar system;
- look at pictures of Mars and describe the landscape features they see;
- look at satellite images of Earth and describe the things they see in these images that they did not see in images of Mars;
- research and take notes on the reasons that Mars and Earth have such different landscapes;
- discuss their research findings; and
- write letters convincing fictitious family friends that investing in real estate on Mars would not be a good idea.
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:
Have students look at a diagram of the solar system. Ask them to name as many planets as they can, and have them point out Earth and Mars. Make sure they understand that Earth is the third planet from the sun and Mars is the fourth.
Development:
Have students look at pictures of Mars at the following Web sites. As they look at the pictures, ask them to describe the landscape features they see, such as mountains, boulders, and Martian dust. They should list these things on their own papers or contribute their ideas to a class list on the board.
National Geographic: Return to Mars
National Geographic MapMachine: Mars
Astronomy for Kids: Mars
Have students look at a few satellite images of Earth—try the Nile River Delta in Egypt or Imperial Valley, California. Help them to understand what they see in these images; in particular, point out that red represents vegetation, water looks black, and concrete and buildings look light gray or white. Ask them to describe, either in writing or a class discussion, what features they notice on Earth that are missing from Mars (e.g., human-made objects and water).
Ask students to conduct further research to find out why Mars and Earth have very different landscapes. Have them go to the following Web sites, plus any other Internet or print resources they can find, and look for clues as to why Mars is not as hospitable for life as Earth. Have them write down the clues they find.
National Geographic: Virtual Solar System
ThinkQuest: A Virtual Journey Into the Universe
Closing:
Hold a class discussion comparing Mars to Earth. Discuss whether students think Mars would make a good planet to live on. What evidence do they have to support their opinions about this question?
Suggested Student Assessment:
Ask students to pretend that a long-lost family friend has arrived at their doorstep with an unusual business proposition: he wants to sell the family some land on Mars. He claims that this would be a good idea just in case the family wants to move to another planet if space travel becomes more convenient and affordable. He says, "What's the difference? Earth and Mars are both good planets, and Mars has a lot more space to keep your stuff!" This would cost the students' parents a lot of money, and they are seriously considering the offer.
Have students write a reply to this family friend, explaining why his proposition might not be such a good investment. Their letters should include specific examples from the research they have done.
Extending the Lesson:
- Have kids do the Red Album activity on the Xpeditions site. Be sure to explore the xtras, interactive features, and links on the left side of the page.
- Have students research the other planets in the solar system to see if any of them might be hospitable for human inhabitation. Have them describe the reasons why each planet is or is not a good place for humans to colonize.
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