National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mars Rover Celebration
Curriculum Module
Week 5: Building and Writing
Lesson 11: Brainstorm and Preliminary Design
Educational Product
Educators & Students
Grades 6-8
www.marsrover.org
Week 5: Building and Writing
LESSON 11:
GRADE LEVEL:
MATERIALS:


BRAINSTORM AND PRELIMINARY DESIGN
6-8
Computer with Internet access; projector and screen
Found materials gathered by the students for rover construction such as:
o Paper plates
o Aluminum foil
o Colored construction paper
o Straws
o Popsicle sticks and/or tongue depressors
o Pipe cleaners
o Styrofoam cups
o Foil tart pans (3" diameter)
o Foam core board or card board
o Small card board tubes (toilet paper roll cores, paper towel cores, etc.)
o Glue
o Brads
o Tape
o Paperclips
o Staples
o Poster paint
o Other found materials that strike the students as useful
Optional Materials:

Solar Rover Kit for each team (or equivalent; not to exceed $15)
o Kelvin Solar Racer Kit
o Kelvin Scientific Economy Solar Racer Kit with Wood Body
o Kelvin Scientific Economy Solar Racer Kit with Plastic Body
o Pitsco SunEzoon Solar Car Kit
o Pitsco SunZoon Lite Solar Car Kit
OR
 Radio Control Kit for each team (or equivalent; not to exceed $15)
o Kelvin Scientific R/C Car Solderless Kit
o Nikko 1:18 Radio Control Hummer H2 Remote Control Car
TEKS/SES:
Science
Grade 6
6.1.A
6.1.B
6.2.B
6.3.A
6.4.A
6.10.B
6.11.A
6.11.B
6.11.C
Grade 7
7.1.A
7.1.B
7.2.B
7.3.A
7.4.A
7.8.B
7.9.A
7.10.A
7.13.A
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Mars Rover Model Celebration – Lesson Plan; Week 5; Lesson11 – Grades 6-8
Grade 8
8.1.A
8.1.B
8.2.B
8.3.A
8.4.A
8.7.A
8.8.E
8.9.C
8.10.A
8.10.B
Full text versions of these TEKS are available at http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter112/ch112b.html
Math
Grade 6
6.8.B
6.11.A
6.11.B
6.11.C
6.11.D
Grade 7
7.8.C
7.9.A
7.13.A
7.13.B
7.13.C
Grade 8
8.14.A 8.14.B
8.14.C
8.14.D 8.15.A
7.13.D 7.14.A
8.15.B
Full text versions of these TEKS are available at http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter111/ch111b.html
Language Arts
Grade 6
6.2.A
6.22.A
6.22.B
6.25.C
Grade 7
7.2.A
7.22.A
7.25.A
7.25.C
Grade 8
8.2.A
8.22.A
8.25.A
8.25.C
Full text versions of these TEKS are available at http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter110/ch110b.html
NATIONAL STANDARDS
Science
Science as Inquiry
 Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
 Understandings about scientific inquiry
Science and Technology

Abilities of technological design

Understandings about science and technology
Personal and Social Perspectives
 Science and technology in society
Math
Measurement
 Apply appropriate techniques, tools, and formulas to determine measurements.
Problem Solving
 Build new mathematical knowledge through problem solving
 Solve problems that arise in mathematics and in other contexts
 Apply and adapt a variety of appropriate strategies to solve problems
 Monitor and reflect on the process of mathematical problem solving
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Mars Rover Model Celebration – Lesson Plan; Week 5; Lesson11 – Grades 6-8
Communication
 Organize and consolidate their mathematical thinking through communication
 Communicate their mathematical thinking coherently and clearly to peers, teachers, and others
 Analyze and evaluate the mathematical thinking and strategies of others;
 Use the language of mathematics to express mathematical ideas precisely
Connections
 Recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of mathematics
Language Arts

NL-ENG.K-12.7 EVALUATING DATA-Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas
and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of
sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that
suit their purpose and audience
ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
Which step of the Engineering Design Process was the most difficult for your team? What
made this step so challenging for you?
LESSON OBJECTIVE(S):
Students will be able to:




Identify, become familiar with and use the Engineering Design Process
Use the Engineering Design Process to sketch a reasonable drawing of the rover that will be built
Use the steps of the Engineering Design Process to build a Mars Rover prototype
Develop a concept map to communicate requirements and features of the rover
ENGAGEMENT
1.
2.
3.
At the beginning of this lesson, and using the attached documents (Appendix), present the key vocabulary
and an Essential Question for students to consider during the lesson.
Ask students to consider how a pencil is made and share their ideas. Solicit from students that a process is
involved from first having the idea of a pencil through using one at school.
Show the video clip from Discovery’s How It’s Made series on the manufacturing of pencils (Runtime
2:47): http://science.discovery.com/videos/how-its-made-pencils.html
Note: Prepare this video prior to students arriving to avoid the ad at the beginning.
4.
5.
6.
After watching the video, have students recall that pencils did not always exist. Ask:
 How do you think the pencil was invented?
 Why would we need something like this? (It solves a problem.)
 What process do you think the inventor went through to create the pencil?
After discussing student responses, ask students to use the graphic organizer in their Science Notebooks
to identify the steps in the Engineering Design Process of how a pencil was invented.
As a whole group, review responses and correct any misconceptions. Have students correct any incorrect
answers in their Science Notebooks so that they can refer back to this page. (1. State the Problem, 2.
Generate Ideas, 3. Select a Solution, 4. Build the Item, 5. Evaluate, 6. Present Results) Be sure to ask
students to ponder what happens when they get to Step 6. (The cycle begins again to improve the
product.)
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Mars Rover Model Celebration – Lesson Plan; Week 5; Lesson11 – Grades 6-8
EXPLORATION



With students in their teams of 4-5, students should recall the steps of the Engineering Design Process
(State the Problem, Generate Ideas, Select a Solution, Build the Item, Evaluate, Present Results), to focus
on building a rover to land on Mars. Using their Science Notebooks, students will work with their teams
to sketch how their rover should look. Students should refer back to their Missions, Requirements and
Features to help them determine how their rover will look.
While teams are working in their Science Notebooks, circulate the room and guide student discussions
when appropriate. Approve team sketches when appropriate. Ask students:
o Which step of the Engineering Design Process are you working on?
o Why is this step necessary/important?
o How will this feature fulfill your rover’s mission/requirement?
Throughout this process, the teacher should circulate the room assisting when necessary. Once teams
have satisfactorily completed this portion, the teacher should pull students together to demonstrate how
to complete a concept map.
EXPLANATION

Using the Concept Map mini-lesson (Appendix) as a guide, teachers should guide students through the
process of correctly completing the first section of the concept map together. Students should then work
with their teams to draw and complete the remainder of the concept map based on how the mission their
team has chosen.
Note: To provide adequate room for brainstorming, students are encouraged to draft their concept maps
on blank newsprint paper or bulletin board paper. Students may also choose to use the full page concept
map (Appendix). When finished, students should copy their final concept map neatly into their Science
Notebooks (or, if using the full page concept map, students may choose to tape it in their Science
Notebooks.)

Once teams have completed the Engagement, Exploration, and Explanation sections of their Science
Notebooks, students may begin building their prototype rovers. Circulate the room and guide student
discussions when appropriate. Ask students:
o Which step of the Engineering Design Process are you working on?
o Why is this step necessary/important?
o How will this feature fulfill your rover’s mission/requirement?
o Towards the end of the lesson, students should revisit their Science Notebooks to answer the
Essential Question.
ELABORATION

If time allows, students may compile additional sketches (front view, top view, side view) of their rovers.
Students may also wish to further complete their concept maps be adding more details.
EVALUATION

During this two day lesson, the teacher is encouraged to use formative assessments to determine and
deepen student understanding. Teachers may wish to the Mars Rover Rubric (Appendix) to assess the
progress of team models and/or grade students’ Science Notebooks to establish student understanding.
SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES
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Mars Rover Model Celebration – Lesson Plan; Week 5; Lesson11 – Grades 6-8
For Students
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/best/edp.html
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/plantgrowth/reference/index.html#1
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html
For Teachers
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/best/edp.html
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/codeq/software/ComplexElectronics/l_prelim_design.ht
m
KEY VOCABULARY FOR STUDENTS
consider
evaluate
process
Additional Vocabulary for Students
avionics
bus
chassis
power system
suspension
systems engineering
telemetry
thermal control system
VOCABULARY FOR TEACHERS
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Mars Rover Model Celebration – Lesson Plan; Week 5; Lesson11 – Grades 6-8
APPENDIX
TEKS Details
http://marsrover.phys.uh.edu/curriculum/Gr68/Lesson_11/Lesson11_68_TEKS.docx
Essential Question
http://marsrover.phys.uh.edu/curriculum/Gr68/Lesson_11/Lesson11_68_EssentialQuestion.docx
Science Notebook
http://marsrover.phys.uh.edu/curriculum/Gr68/Lesson_11/Lesson11_68_SciNotebook.docx
Vocabulary Definitions for Students
http://marsrover.phys.uh.edu/curriculum/Gr68/Lesson_11/Lesson11_68_Definitions.docx
Vocabulary Definitions for Teachers
http://marsrover.phys.uh.edu/curriculum/Gr68/Lesson_11/Lesson11_68_Teacher_Definitions.docx
Vocabulary Cards
o Consider
http://marsrover.phys.uh.edu/curriculum/Gr68/Lesson_11/Lesson11_68_VocabCard_Consider.p
df
o Evaluate
http://marsrover.phys.uh.edu/curriculum/Gr68/Lesson_11/Lesson11_68_VocabCard_Evaluate.p
df
o Process
http://marsrover.phys.uh.edu/curriculum/Gr68/Lesson_11/Lesson11_68_VocabCard_Process.pd
f
Concept Map
o MiniLesson
http://marsrover.phys.uh.edu/curriculum/Gr68/Lesson_11/Lesson11_ConceptMap_MiniLesson.
pdf
o Example
http://marsrover.phys.uh.edu/curriculum/Gr68/Lesson_11/Lesson11_ConceptMap_Example.pdf
Mars Rover Rubric
http://marsrover.phys.uh.edu/curriculum/Gr68/Lesson_11/Mars Rover Rubric.pdf
Additional NASA Resources for Teachers
http://deepimpact.umd.edu/educ/Collaborative.html
http://marsbound.asu.edu/
http://marsrover.nasa.gov/classroom/pdfs/MSIP-MarsActivities.pdf#page=129
http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/pdf/lesson_14.pdf
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Administration. The remaining photographs and illustrations were purchased through clipart.com. All
elements of the Site, including the Jupiterimages Content, are protected by copyright, trade dress, moral rights,
trademark and other laws relating to the protection of intellectual property.
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