Destination: Mars - ER - NASA

ProcedureAdvanced Preparation1. Gather materials.2. Set up various art supplies at each tablefor either individual work or small groupwork. This activity may be used as ahomework project.3. Review the “If You Went to Mars” sheet,Mars Fact Sheet, and the backgroundprovided above. Other research andreading may be assigned as desired.Classroom Procedure1. Ask students to work in groups toconstruct a model of an animal or plantthat has features that might allow it to liveon or near the surface of Mars. Havethem consider all the special adaptationsthey see in animals and plants here onEarth. They must use their knowledge ofconditions on Mars, consulting the MarsFact Sheet, If You Went to Mars, andother resources such as web pages ifnecessary. Some key words for a websearch might be “life in space” or“extremophile” (organisms living inextreme environments). They mustidentify a specific set of conditions underwhich this organism might live. Encouragethe students to use creativity andimagination in their descriptions andmodels.2. If this is assigned as homework, provideeach student with a set of rules and agrading sheet, or read the rules andgrading criteria aloud and post a copy.3. Review the information already learnedabout Mars in previous lessons.4. Allow at least 2 class periods for thisproject: one for construction, one forpresentation.5. Remind the students that there are nowrong critters as long as the gradingcriteria are followed.6. Include a scale with each livingorganism.46 Destination: Mars 10/97 NASA JSC