Introductory Lesson Plan
and Mars Facts
INTRODUCTION LESSON PLAN
The introductory lesson should be used to introduce the project you intend to carry out
(this will of course depend upon which modules you choose to undertake), and provide
the students with an overview of Mars and Mars exploration. Students should be
encouraged to respond to questions posed during the talk and to think about specific
points. The direction of the discussion will depend upon the modules you wish to
undertake, but points they should perhaps think about for the full project range from
what we can learn by studying the features on Mars, to how the astronauts could best
cope with the long travel time in low or zero gravity and still be ready to do their job
upon arrival at Mars. The key thing to stress here (for those wishing to undertake the
full project) is that the students should think of all of the modules they complete in terms
of their mission planning, and how the information they have learned can be used to
improve their mission design.
Slides and pictures should be used where possible to highlight points made during your
introduction to the students. While we are unable to provide these in this resource
pack, the Mars in the Classroom website has some useful images, and provides links to
other Mars related sites with excellent pictures. To access the Mars in the Classroom
pages, point your browser to http://www.ucl.ac.uk/GeolSci/MITC.
On the next few pages is a reference sheet of Mars facts to help you plan out this
lesson and the project as a whole. Further details of Mars and Mars exploration can
also be found on our web pages. The students should be made aware of some of the
basic properties of the planet that make it difficult to explore, such as its distance from
Earth, low surface temperature, thin carbon dioxide atmosphere etc. In addition, it
would be useful to outline some of the important science that can be done and the
outstanding geological features present, such as Olympus Mons (the largest volcano in
the Solar System; similar to some terrestrial volcanoes such as those in Hawai’i), Valles
Marineris (a vast, 4000 km long canyon system, similar to the Grand Canyon in Arizona,
but far larger) and the polar caps which, in some places, contain frozen water.
Finally, in this introductory session it is useful to give a description of the Mars in the
Classroom project itself and the individual modules the students will be completing. If
you are undertaking the entire Mars in the Classroom project, then we would again
encourage you to approach each subject using the same theme: what does it mean with
respect to planning a Manned mission?
Introduction Lesson Plan
1
MARS FACTS
8
Average distance from the Sun
1.524 AU (2.279 × 10 km)
Maximum distance from the Sun (aphelion)
1.666 AU (2.491 × 10 km)
Minimum distance from the Sun (perihelion)
1.382 AU (2.067 × 10 km)
8
8
Sidereal Period (length of year)
686.98 days = 1.88 years
Rotation Period (length of day)
24h 37m 23s
Equatorial Diameter
Equatorial Diameter (Earth = 1)
Mass
Mass (Earth = 1)
Mean Density
Surface Gravity (Earth = 1)
Escape Velocity
Surface temperatures
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6,794 km
0.532
23
6.42 × 10 kg
0.107
3940 kg/m
3
0.380
5.0 km/s
maximum = 293 K (20° C or 70° F)
minimum = 133 K (-140° C or -220° F)
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the third smallest, about half the diameter
of the Earth.
It has a surface area that is about the same as the land area on Earth, so there is
plenty to explore!
Mars has perhaps the most varied and fascinating landforms of any of the rocky
planets apart from the Earth, including the largest known volcano in the Solar
System (Olympus Mons) and a massive canyon system called Valles Marineris that
would stretch across the entire North American continent!
Unlike the Earth, Mars appears to lack active plate tectonics, and there is no
evidence of mountain building similar to that which we see on our own planet.
An explorer on Mars will have to be equipped to cope with a temperatures ranging
from as cold as 133° K (-140° C, -220° F) to almost 293° K (20° C, 70° F),
depending on where they are on the planet and what time of year it is.
Mars also lacks a breathable atmosphere, so any explorer would have to be
equipped with breathing apparatus that would last for the duration of the mission.
The Martian atmosphere is composed mostly of carbon dioxide (95.3%) plus
nitrogen (2.7%), argon (1.6%), oxygen (0.15%) and water (0.03%).
Ice caps are present at both poles. On Mars they are composed mostly of `dry ice'
(frozen carbon dioxide), although layers of water ice are also known to be present in
the north (it is not known if similar layers exist to the south).
Many scientists think that there may also be water ice below the surface at lower
latitudes.
Many of the surfaces on Mars show signs of water erosion, so it is fairly obvious that
there was running water on the surface at some time in the past.
Introduction Lesson – Mars Data Sheet
1
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This raises the possibility of life having evolved on the planet during this time. The
Viking landers performed experiments to determine the existence of life on Mars, but
no conclusive evidence was found.
The interior of Mars cannot be observed directly, and it is difficult to discover much
information about this without carrying out extensive work on the ground (perhaps
the student’s missions should reflect this?). Even so, scientists predict that the most
likely scenario is a dense core surrounded by a molten rocky mantle (probably a little
denser than the Earth's) on top of which is a thin crust.
What do we hope to answer?
Here are just a few ideas as to the kind of science that can be undertaken by sending
humans to Mars. Ask the students to try to think of some more for themselves and to
think of ways we may be able to answer these questions.
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Is there still active volcanism on Mars?
How much water is there and where is it?
Is, or was, there any life on Mars?
Are we able to send people as far afield as Mars?
Do we have the technology to set up a semi-permanent base on another planet?
Introduction Lesson – Mars Data Sheet
2