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Mars Education Challenge

Curriculum Support Materials Leonard Bacon Maple Hill High School 1216 Maple Hill Rd Castleton, NY 12033. Mars Education Challenge. Rationale.

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Mars Education Challenge

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  1. Curriculum Support Materials Leonard Bacon Maple Hill High School 1216 Maple Hill Rd Castleton, NY 12033 Mars Education Challenge

  2. Rationale • The inclusion of topics relating to the exploration of planets within and outside our solar system in high school science classes will increase student’s interest in STEM disciplines. • These topics can provide a context for learning about terrestrial processes while at the same time instilling a sense of awe in the students as a result of their exposure to the endless possibilities that the lie within the universe. • The activities have been designed to reinforce concepts that are normally included in a high school Biology and Earth Science curriculums.

  3. Curriculum Support Activities • Activity 1: Classification of Stars to Determine Habitability • In this activity students review the physical and chemical properties of stars to see how those characteristics may influence the development of life on a planet in orbit around that star. • Students will be introduced to the concept of the “Habitable Zone” surrounding a star.

  4. Curriculum Support Activities • Students use the formula L (star)/L (sun) = r (star) 2/r (sun) 2 to calculate the width of the Habitable zone around various stars. • Where L (star) = Luminosity of the star relative to the sun • L (sun) = the luminosity of the sun • r (star) = The radius of the habitable zone around the star • r (sun) = The radius of the habitable zone around the sun • Students then create a scaled drawing of the Habitable Zone around the Sun and plot the location of the Earth and Mars within the zone. ESO/Franck Selsis, University of Bordeaux

  5. Curriculum Support Activities • Activity 2: Why Earth and Not Mars? • In this activity students investigate some of the physical characteristics of Earth and Mars along with some of the geological and meteorological processes that control that influence the development of life on each planet. • the students are asked to research information plate tectonics, climate, and weather conditions on Earth and Mars • Students develop an understanding of the interconnected nature of those processes and how they collectively impact the habitability of a planet.

  6. Curriculum Support Activities • Activity 3:A Case for Life on Mars • In the third activity students research different groups of terrestrial extremophiles. • This will help students to better understand how the boundaries of the range of tolerance for life have been expanded and how that has provided new hope that life can be found on Mars.

  7. Curriculum Support Activities • Activity 4: Detecting Life in “Martian Water” • Students are asked to design a controlled experiment to detect the presence of life in the sample of Martian water. • The organism that will be used in the experiment by the students is Bacillus subtilis. • Bacillus subtiliswould be a reasonable analog to represent a Martian organism because of its ability to produces a unique type of resting cell called an endospore during unfavorable conditionssuch as temperature extremes, high UV irradiation, and desiccation. http://www.micro.cornell.edu/cals/micro/research/labs/angert-lab/endo3.cfm

  8. Curriculum Support Activities • The Martian water activity is designed to use Mars as a context to help students improve their understanding of the functional definition of life as well as designing and performing controlled scientific experiments. • Students will use high tech data collection instruments to provide them with a more authentic research experience.

  9. References • http://www.micro.cornell.edu/cals/micro/research/labs/angert-lab/endo3.cfm • http://www.dirtyskies.com/index.php/2006/03/08/terragen-mars-planum-boreum/ • http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/masterCatalog.do?sc=1975-075C&ex=03 • http://www.callnrg.com/BacillusSubtilsBrochure.pdf • http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/H/habzone.html • How to Find a Habitable Planet by James Kastings

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