Exploring Mars, the Red Planet

Students will learn in depth about Mars, including its geography, atmosphere, and various surface features, including the Olympus Mons and Tharsis Montes volcanoes as well as the Valles Marineris. As students learn about Mars's surface features, they will discover how Olympus Mons compares to Mount Everest and how the Valles Marineris compares to the Grand Canyon. They will also get to see what Olympus Mons looks like from space as well as receiving a brief geology lesson about the Red Planet. After the Grand Tour, students will have a chance to share ideas for an exploration mission on the first crewed mission to Mars, such as what areas of Mars they would like to explore. A slide show with all kinds of cool pictures helps bring the Red Planet to life as they learn about our farthest neighbor in the Inner Solar System.

The class will begin with a warmup activity, followed by a presentation on Mars, and then a student activity. They will be encouraged to ask questions and comment during the class. Participation is encouraged as it helps enhance the class experience. If students do not feel comfortable participating verbally, they are free to participate on the chat.

I will give an in-depth discussion on the planet, Mars, sharing an overview of the planet, a history of the exploration of the Red Planet, as well as what the weather and atmosphere are like on the planet, and descriptions of some of the notable formations on the surface of Mars. I will do a warm-up to help hook students beforehand. Students will do a student activity afterward in which they will imagine themselves walking on Mars. They will share about where they will go on the planet and why.

Students will be able to interact with me during the warm-up, presentation and student activity. They are free to ask questions and comment during the class. Participation is highly encouraged. They can share on chat if they do not feel comfortable sharing verbally if they wish to do so.

Students are encouraged to bring a love of space and astronomy and, of course, a desire to learn about Mars, the mysterious Red Planet.