Mars Activities
The lessons below are teacher-favorite lessons focused on the Red Planet. For more search options or to search by other science target, missions and other criteria, visit our Fast Lesson Finder. You can also search by curriculum standards on our popular Curriculum Standards Quilts.
Mars Lessons:
Remote Sensing Ices on Mars (Main Portal)
Topic: Light and Spectra
Grade Level: 5-8, 9-12
Body: Mars
Short Description: Students analyze data collected by Mars spacecraft using three different energies of light -- visible light, infrared light and gamma rays -- to investigate the composition and distribution of ices at the high latitude regions of Mars.
Remote Sensing Ices on Mars (Powerpoint Presentation Extension)
Topic: Light and Spectra
Grade Level: 5-8, 9-12
Body: Mars
Short Description: Students analyze data collected by Mars spacecraft using three different energies of light -- visible light, infrared light and gamma rays -- to investigate the composition and distribution of ices at the high latitude regions of Mars.
Remote Sensing Ices on Mars (Powerpoint Presentation)
Topic: Light and Spectra
Grade Level: 5-8, 9-12
Body: Mars
Short Description: Students analyze data collected by Mars spacecraft using three different energies of light -- visible light, infrared light and gamma rays -- to investigate the composition and distribution of ices at the high latitude regions of Mars.
Remote Sensing Ices on Mars (Student Guide Extension)
Topic: Light and Spectra
Grade Level: 5-8, 9-12
Body: Mars
Short Description: Students analyze data collected by Mars spacecraft using three different energies of light -- visible light, infrared light and gamma rays -- to investigate the composition and distribution of ices at the high latitude regions of Mars.
Remote Sensing Ices on Mars (Student Guide)
Topic: Light and Spectra
Grade Level: 5-8, 9-12
Body: Mars
Short Description: Students analyze data collected by Mars spacecraft using three different energies of light -- visible light, infrared light and gamma rays -- to investigate the composition and distribution of ices at the high latitude regions of Mars.
Remote Sensing Ices on Mars (Teacher Guide Extension)
Topic: Light and Spectra
Grade Level: 5-8, 9-12
Body: Mars
Short Description: Students analyze data collected by Mars spacecraft using three different energies of light -- visible light, infrared light and gamma rays -- to investigate the composition and distribution of ices at the high latitude regions of Mars.
Remote Sensing Ices on Mars (Teacher Guide)
Topic: Light and Spectra
Grade Level: 5-8, 9-12
Body: Mars
Short Description: Students analyze data collected by Mars spacecraft using three different energies of light -- visible light, infrared light and gamma rays -- to investigate the composition and distribution of ices at the high latitude regions of Mars.
Rivers on Mars?
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Mars
Short Description: Using a stream tables, students simulate the development of the Martian landscape through water flow and erosion. (This modified version of a middle school activity was created for young elementary students.)
Rover Races
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects
Grade Level: K-4, 5-8
Body: Mars
Mission: Curiosity / MSL (Mars)
Short Description: Working in small teams, students pretend to be a rover and learn the constraints of operating a rover on Mars.
Scratching the Surface -- Carving Channels
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects
Grade Level: 5-8
Body: Mars
Short Description: Students create channel features with flowing water. Their observations of the ways in which flowing water alters the surrounding terrain will be used as clues to draw conclusions about Mars' geologic past.
