Mission to Mars: Introduction

Project Description

This project has the potential to be a great learning experience for the students, plus a great resource for the community. The students will combine their math and biology classes in a way never seen before. Through the guise of a planned mission to Mars, the students will discover the usefulness of various topics involving DNA, mutations and proteins, from the Biology side, and Matrices, vectors, and graph interpretation, on the math side. The project will mix a small number of content lessons and independent research, with hands-on laboratory activities, a challenging and fun competition. At the end of the project term, the students will have compiled enough resources to give a presentation to a panel of judges, engineers and scientists from the community, who are hypothetically looking for mission to Mars proposals. The students will also put their findings into a website, which will be available for the entire community to view. We are wishing for the students to understand what it takes to travel to and establish life on another planet. As a tertiary effect, we are hoping the students will also have a newfound respect for the life on our current planet and for the need and application of mathematics and science.

Driving Question

What would it take to plan a trip, and sustain human life on Mars?

Overall Goals of the Project

· The project participants will understand the logistics behind traveling to Mars, and sustaining life on Mars.

· The students will understand new concepts in math and biology, or connect concepts they already know to real engineering situations.

· The students will form a professional presentation, based on their research, outlining their proposals.

Rationale

The global population has soared to almost 6.6 Billion people, and it is expected to double in the next century. At a certain point, the Earth will cease its ability to support us. Clean water will be scarce. Countries will fight over food and energy. Unfortunately, no one has been willing to spend the resources to rectify this looming problem. A case can be made that it is too far in the future to burden our scientists now. If we are going to have a solution prepared by the time the Earth is being taxed beyond its means, we must start by researching our plans now. One of the possible places for research would have to be an initiative to conduct testing on foreign planets. Our student researchers will propose a project to determine the feasibility of a trip to Mars. We will study both the logistics of getting the pioneers to Mars, and the sustainability of life there. We will study the effects of temperature and radiation, possible sources of oxygen food and fuel, while also looking into the logistics living there (gravity, weather, etc.) Although it is obvious that the global population is a gigantic issue that will not be tackled by a single trip to Mars, we must conduct this as a stepping stone for further ventures.

Background

Biology:

The biology concepts are rather strait forward. Nutrition, environmental conditions, and physical exercise on health, DNA (replication, transcription), protein translation, and mutations are the primary biology focus in this project. The intro level Biology book will have sufficient information for background knowledge. A good webpage to refer to however is

http://www.eurekascience.com/ICanDoThat/dna_intro.htm

This webpage has lots of good information and images to help understand the material.

Math:

The concepts taught in the math classes are not anything new or difficult. The following topics are covered: Vectors, Trig functions, Matrices (addition, identity matrix, inverse matrix, and multiplication), solving systems of equations, quadratic functions, and interpreting graphs.

However, some of the lab activities are unconventional, and some teachers may not be familiar with some of the equipment. The force table used in the vector lab is shown below:

LEAD Technologies Inc. V1.01 The three or 4 pulleys are clamped on the outside of the table. They can be moved around, and have pointers that will make measuring their angle easier. Once the pulleys are set, three or four strings are put through them, and connected to a central ring, which is sitting around a central peg. On the other end of the string, are hooks that can carry different weights. The idea behind the force table is if the center ring is not touching the peg, then the forces (vectors) acting on the ring negate each other, resulting in a net force of zero. When the angles and weights are measured, we can mathematically prove the zero net force.

The next activity is a “Spaceship” obstacle course. This uses a remote control blimp to simulate the motion of a spaceship, and how forces (vectors) act on it. The blimp must be filled with helium, which can be found at most craft stores, or any place where helium balloons are sold. Also, portable helium canisters can be bought. Most problems with R/C devices can be solved by fresh batteries so make sure they are charged.

The next lab, using the CBL and motion detectors can be difficult the first time. Make sure to read the manual that comes with the CBL and motion detectors before using them. Directions for using the equipment can be found in the following document. www2.vernier.com/sample_labs/RWCALC-01-walk_the_line.pdf

Standards Addressed

TEKS

C3. (A): use functions such as logarithmic, exponential, trigonometric, polynomial, etc. to model real-life data;

C3. (D) Solve problems from physical situations using trigonometry, including the use of Law of Sines, Law of Cosines, and area formulas.

C6. (A) Use the concept of vectors to model situations defined by magnitude and direction; and

C6. (B) Analyze and solve vector problems generated by real-life situations.

§112.43. Biology. (c) Knowledge and skills.

(6) Science concepts. The student knows the structures and functions of nucleic acids in the mechanisms of genetics. The student is expected to:

(A) Describe components of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and illustrate how information for specifying the traits of an organism is carried in the DNA;

(B) Explain replication, transcription, and translation using models of DNA and ribonucleic acid (RNA);

Science concepts. The student knows that organisms maintain homeostasis. The student is expected to:

(B) Investigate and identify how organisms, including humans, respond to external stimuli;

Description of Formative and Summative Assessments Including Descriptions of Final Project

In order to evaluate this project, there will be several benchmarks the students will have to achieve prior the final evaluation of their presentations. By utilizing project proposals and weekly updates, we will be able to recognize how the groups are planning on integrating the material covered in both math and science. Furthermore, by forwarding their material to their group mentors, engineers and scientists in the community, students will be able to get actual professional feedback as well as recommendations from the teachers. This will also allow us to monitor the progress of the students and assist in maintaining their motivation in their inquiries. This will ensure the class is on the same page, and that we leave no student behind in the material. Moreover, it will allow us to recognize the areas in which may need further reinforcement before the presentations.

As a final assessment, students will present their projects in front of the class, utilizing technology such as PowerPoint and iMovie to display their work, to a panel of judges from both NASA and the community. The panel using a general rubric will evaluate the students, and the experts will offer their comments on where parts of the presentation can be improved upon or where there maybe need of correction. Overall the evaluation process is more a method of monitoring students’ progress rather than enforcing the route memorization and regurgitation of material. This form of evaluation will maximize the learning potential of the students and encourage them to take an active role in their education