Understanding the Mars
Mission and soil studies by
using the web
A Web project
Rationale
Scientists often need to get a better background to
better understand the scientific investigation that
they are working on. With today’s
communication the internet is a wealth of
information on all different aspects of a given
topic.
This project is to broaden your understanding of
the plethora of information that is available and
to begin to be able to glean what you need for
what your study.
The Mission
Each table group will get a website to investigate.
We will have about 45 minutes in the library. In
that time I would like your table to investigate
one of the seven sites (each table group will
have a different site). Please split up the work
as there will be only minimal talking allowed in
the library. Your mission will be to build a power
point that will introduce the webpage to the rest
of the class. Use the following questions to
guide (but not limit) your investigation. The
expectation will be that you have 5-6 slides.
Use the following to guide but not
limit your website investigation
1. What is the focus of your website? How is it
relevant to our soil study?
2. Describe 2 or 3 interesting and relevant
items/articles in your website, include pictures
3. Who are some of the scientists named or
discussed on the site.
4. What special features does your site have that
would be interesting to use for your soils
report.
Feel free to link the site in your power point to
show us some of the interesting items.
Mars Websites
http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu
The Phoenix Mars Mission official website
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov
This site focuses on the exploration that is being conducted not only in orbit around Mars, but on the surface
as well, analyzing the composition of the soils on the surface.
Soil resources
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladventures/soil/
Explore soil ecology, meet microscopic creatures, and journey underground in the virtual reality voyage of the
Earthship. From the Discovery Channel school.
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/solar_system
This site, through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab,
highlights missions that focus on exploration of the solar system.
http://nai.arc.nasa.gov
NASA Astrobiology Institute’s (NAI) website. How does life begin
and evolve? Is there life elsewhere in the Universe? What is the future of life on Earth and beyond? NAI
carries out collaborative research and education in astrobiology, the
Interdisciplinary science that seeks answers to these fundamental questions. It supports
investigation of these issues on Earth and serves as a portal to space for the scientific
community.
http://astroventure.arc.nasa.gov
At this interactive site, students in grades 5-8 role-play NASA occupations as they search for and build a
planet for human habitation.
Additional resources
http://www.marstoday.com/
This website contains links, images, and text from sources across the web that pertain to the planet Mars. The
site is searchable, or can be browsed by categories such as Mars News, Planetary Facts, Exploration,
Searching for Life, Moons, Meteorites, Missions, and Mars in Fiction. Under each category is a list of
links for information and images.
Other great resources to
sites
 http://www.dlese.org/library/index.jsp
 DLESE is the Digital Library for Earth System
 Education, a geoscience community resource that supports teaching
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and learning about the Earth system. It is funded by the National
Science Foundation and is being built by a
community of educators, students, and scientists to support Earth
system education at all levels and in both formal and informal
settings.
•http://visibleearth.nasa.gov
This is a collection of images and animations of Earth. It has a
searchable index that will allow you to find images and animations of
specific topics, such as soils.