Mars-Bound

Mars-Bound - Introduction

Target Audience, Project Description, Driving Question, Project Goals, Project Objectives, Rationale, Background, Standards, Assessments

Target Audience

High school Physics, Geology and Pre-Calculus students; can easily be adapted for Integrated Physics and Chemistry students as well.

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Project Description

This project is an exciting and collaborative project, which is used to tie together Physics, Pre-calculus, and Geology concepts.  It allows the students to experience the life of a NASA engineer as they design and implement a Mars Rover Fueled on three different types of energy that can pick up a rock for analysis.

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Students in the geology class will experience a wide variety of activities. Students will examine minerals and rocks first-hand and will also perform a balloon activity designed to represent the expanding universe and to help students understand Hubble’s Lab and Hubble’s constant.  They will also learn how to identify surface features such as volcanoes, craters, and a river channels on a topographic map of Earth and relate what they’ve learned to a Mars map.  Through geological principles such as Superposition, Horizontal Bedding, and Cross-Cutting Relationships, students will be able to tell a geological story of a given area on Earth and on Mars and then incorporate what they’ve learned when picking a Mars landing site.

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Driving Question

How would you design a robotic mission to Mars?

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Project Goals

In responding to the president’s challenge, NASA shifted its core mission to include, “inspiring the next generation of explorers…as only NASA can.” In doing so, they have worked to provide educators with a wealth of educational resources extrapolated from their unique missions such as the successful Mars Rover missions, Spirit and Opportunity. However, despite the plethora of rich resources, there is a lack of strong curriculum designed to effectively utilize the resources while cohesively connecting basic high-school concepts.

Hence, the overall mission for the Mars-Bound project is to develop a strong, interdisciplinary curriculum that masterfully utilizes NASA-provided resources aimed at increasing student interest in science in math. Research has shown that students who are proficient in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are more likely to pursue related subjects in high school and college and in career fields. Thus, the highest priority of our project is to create an environment where students are able to achieve the needed skills in an exciting and engaging manner.

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Project Objectives

Students will be able to:

• Research various possible solutions to a given problem
• Design an investigation, including testing a hypothesis and drawing conclusions
• Use industry technology such as Microsoft Excel, email and AutoCAD
• Present and defend a design proposal and final project

Physics, Pre-calculus, Geology

Physics:

Students will be able to:

• Construct a distance vs. time, velocity vs. time and acceleration vs. time graph for the data collected
• Describe Newton’s Laws of Motion
• Distinguish the difference between kinetic and potential energy
• Understand energy conservation and transformation
• Identify different types of energy
• Show work equals force times distance
• Make the connection between work and potential energy, kinetic energy, and heat

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Pre-calculus:

Students will be able to:

• Determine the importance of dot product
• Relate the importance of the dot product to the idea of work
• Understand vector addition, subtraction and  multiplication
• Determine the importance of  cross product
• Relate the importance of the cross product to the idea of work

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Geology:

Students will be able to:

• Identify surface features on Earth and apply those to Mars
• Use correct terminology when describing aspects of surface features
• Give a geologic history of the surface of a planet
• Learn how to read maps in general
• Illustrate the expansion of the universe with a model
• Explain and provide examples of Cepheid variables and apply (redshift velocity) = (distance)*(Hubble’s constant)
• Give supporting evidence for the Big Bang Theory
• Identify different types or rocks and minerals

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Rationale

America, we have a problem. Currently 1/3 to 1/2 of our children fall below the basic standards in science and math. Undergraduate and graduate enrollment in science and engineering is down 15-20%, and 40% of those who are enrolling are international students. Furthermore, employment opportunities in science and technology are expected to increase at a rate almost 3x greater than all other occupations. Aware that the current pipeline will not meet this demand, President George W. Bush issued a challenge to the country stating, “When it comes to educating our children, failure is not an option,” and we agree.

In an attempt to meet this challenge, we have developed an exciting interdisciplinary project that brings together Physics, Pre-calculus and Geology concepts. Over the course of 5 weeks, students will design a Mars robotic mission. As a result, students will develop a deep level of understanding of concepts not easily attainable through traditional instruction.  During the course of the project, students will explore concepts using hands-on methods through physical manipulatives and interactive software. Moreover, each team will interact with engineers from Johnson Space Center through emails, telephone calls and a “Digital Learning Network” teleconferencing program hosted by JSC.

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Background

One of the main goals of this project is to help students understand how math and sciences are intertwined, and how these subjects relate to real-world problems. By combining the curriculum in the students’ three courses to focus on the exciting Mars-based project, we also hope to engage and encourage our students to continue their pursuit of knowledge in these areas. However, in order for the interdisciplinary project to be successful, the educators involved need be familiar with the adequate background information. In this section, we aim to prepare the educators with the overall background information, as well as with the Physics, Pre-calculus, and Geology background information.

One of the key aspects of this project is the interaction between the local NASA community and the students. Since this project was designed with the intent of using it in the Texas areas, many of the resources listed below relates to Johnson Space Center. However, if educators in other states are interested using this curriculum, they should look at their local NASA center’s website for contact information.

First, before beginning your students in the project, it is important to contact JSC about assigning mentors for each group of students. To do this, you will need to contact Ms. Debbie Herrin (email: mailto:eduoutre@ems.jsc.nasa.gov ail) about JSC’s “Education Outreach Program”. The program seeks to capture young people’s interest in science, engineering, mathematics and technology. Over 200 JSC employees volunteer to share their knowledge and experience with teachers and students. Volunteers participate in various outreach opportunities including lecturing or performing hands-on activities in the classroom, career shadowing, tutoring, mentoring and judging at science fairs. It is recommended that you contact her at least three months prior to beginning the project. For more information abut the program, visit their website - http://education.jsc.nasa.gov/app/request.cfm.

Also, the educators will also need to contact JSC about their “Distance Learning Network” program. Again, this should be done in advanced – at least 6 months. In doing this, you will be providing the students with a truly unique experience. The DLN is a live interactive video teleconference. Events are presented from unique JSC facilities (e.g., Neutral Buoyancy Lab and the Space Mockup Facilities). Students at all levels have the unique opportunity to interact directly with NASA representatives, experts, and even astronauts to gain new appreciation for the importance of science and education. To set up your event, you will need to visit the website - http://learningoutpost.jsc.nasa.gov/ . If you have any questions, you can also contact the project lead, Mr. Douglas Goforth (email: mailto:douglas.w.goforth@nasa.gov). 

Finally, since the project deals directly with a mission to Mars, it would be a good idea to be familiar with past and present NASA missions to Mars. It is recommended that educators spend some time reviewing NASA’s official Mars website - http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/classroom/. This website has information regarding past, present and future missions. Furthermore, it provides a plethora of learning resources ready to use in the classroom including lesson plans, multi-media resources, and links to other useful sites.

Physics

Educators involved with the Physics component of the project should be familiar with the following:

• Newton’s Laws of Motion, Energy, Work, etc. – basic high school physics concepts
• AutoCAD® - Read the tutorial here - http://www.ncsu.edu/project/graphicscourse/gc/acadtut/acadtut2000/acadtut-home.html.
• Microsoft Excel ® - Read the tutorial here - http://www.usd.edu/trio/tut/excel/
• Microsoft PowerPoint ® - Read the tutorial here - http://www.actden.com/pp/. This tutorial is also student-friendly and is a good resource for teaching your students how to use this program.

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Pre-calculus

This project’s main goal is to relate the concept of vectors to forces.  In order to do this it is necessary to have the knowledge of adding, subtracting, and solving matrices.  Also, it is important to know the concepts of vectors and be able to perform the dot product and cross product.  To relate these concepts of vectors to forces it is important to know that force is a vector and the dot product is used to calculate work.  This way it is easier to relate the real world concepts of forces when building the rover to the math that is necessary.  When working with vectors the students are using geometry sketch pad, therefore it is helpful to know how the program works.

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Geology

Geology encompasses many topics, from rocks to paleontology to weather.  The most fundamental elements are covered for this project. 

The general consensus for the formation of the Universe is the Big Bang (10-15 Billion years ago) based on background radiation and Hubble’s Law (galaxies are moving away from the Earth).  Condensation of the Solar System began around 4.57 Billion years ago and this is also the time we find the earliest meteorites.  The oldest known rocks on Earth are 4.1 Billion years old.  We don’t find rocks older than this because they have been subjected to plate tectonics (subduction back into the mantle).  A current theory for the formation of the moon is that a Mars-sized body collided with the proto-Earth around 4.5 Billion years ago which tilted the Earth’s axis to its current 23 degrees and the ejected material is what formed the moon.  The moon is receding from the Earth at 3.7 cm/year which is slowing Earth’s rotation and causing our days to become longer each year.  The moon’s rotation and revolution are the same so the same side of the moon is always facing Earth.  Eventually, in 5 billion years, the Earth will constantly have the same side facing the Sun but at this point the Sun will have expanded and engulfed the Earth.

The Earth formed through the process of differentiation.  The spinning of the Earth acted as a centrifuge and as a result the heavier elements (sulfur, iron, and nickel) “sank” to the Earth’s center to form the core while the lighter elements (silicon, aluminum, and oxygen) “floated” to the top where they cooled and formed the outer crust.  Between the crust and the core is the mantle (>90% iron, magnesium, silicon, and oxygen).  Our present atmosphere and oceans were formed by evolution of primitive atmospheres and oceans that formed as a result of steam and gases released during volcanic activity.  Around 2500 Million years ago there was an increase in oxygen and the process of life began.  Fossil bacteria have been found that are as old as 3.5 Billion years old.  Hypotheses for the formation of life include hydrothermal vents and extraterrestrial sources (comets).  There was an explosion of life (the Cambrian Explosion) at 543 Million years ago in which there was an increase in diversity and preservation of hard bodies.  The largest mass extinction occurred during the , around 250 Million years ago during which 95% of all species on Earth were lost.  The most famous extinction is the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) at 65 Million years ago which wiped out the dinosaurs.  Theories for these mass extinctions include asteroid impacts, glaciation (rapid climate change), and volcanic eruptions (similar to impacts).

Helpful definitions:

• Asthenosphere: Mantle below the lithosphere that is weak and ductile.  Convection of the asthenosphere drives plate tectonics/plate movements.

• Igneous Rock: Formed by crystallization from a magma originating from the high-temp lower crust or upper mantle; rocks formed directly from magmas either beneath (intrusive) or on (extrusive) the Earth’s surface.  Common minerals: Quartz, Feldspar, Mica, Pyroxene, Amphibole, Olivine.  Examples: Basalt, Gabbro, Granite, Ryolite

• Lava: Molten rock that reaches the Earth’s surface through a volcano or fissure.

• Lithosphere: Includes the cool rigid outer crust and the top of the mantle; Rides on top of the asthenosphere. Also known as tectonic plates.

• Magma: The molten rock material under the earth's crust, from which igneous rock is formed by cooling.

• Metamorphic Rock: Heat and/or pressure cause minerals to recrystallize, changing mineral texture and/or composition (precursor may be sedimentary, igneous or metamorphic). Common minerals: Quartz, Feldspar, Mica, Garnet, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Kyanite.  Examples: Schist, Gneiss

• Mineral: A naturally occurring, homogeneous inorganic solid substance having a definite chemical composition and characteristic crystalline structure, color, and hardness.

• Rock:  A naturally occurring aggregate of one or more minerals (e.g. granite), or a body of non-crystalline material (e.g. obsidian glass), or of solid organic material (e.g. coal).

• Rock Cycle:  A sequence of events involving the formation, alteration, destruction, and reformation of rocks as a result of magmatism, weathering, erosion, deposition, lithification, and metamorphism.

• Sedimentary Rock: Form at the Earth’s surface by processes of wind, water, and ice – weathering (chemical/mechanical), erosion, deposition.  Common minerals: Quartz, Clay, Feldspar, Calcite, Dolomite, Gypsum, Halite.  Examples: sandstone, shale, carbonate

Helpful websites:

• http://earthsci.org/teacher/basicgeol/contents.html#Minerals
• http://www.uh.edu/~jbutler/physical/onlinefall2001.html
• http://www.gpc.peachnet.edu/~pgore/online/physical2.php
• http://www.usgs.gov

Helpful books:

• Understanding Earth, by Press, Siever, Grotzinger and Jordan. 4th edition
• Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology, by Edward J. Tarbuck
• The Practical Geologist, by Dougal Dixon
• A Field Manual for the Amateur Geologist, by Alan M. Cvancara
• The Field Guide to Geology, by David Lambert and the Diagram Group

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Standards

Texas, National, Technology

Texas Essential Skills and Knowledge (TEKs)

(1)  Scientific processes. The student, for at least 40% of instructional time, conducts field and laboratory investigations using safe, environmentally appropriate, and ethical practices. The student is expected to:

(A)  Demonstrate safe practices during field and laboratory investigations; and

(B)  Make wise choices in the use and conservation of resources and the disposal or recycling of materials.

(2)  Scientific processes. The student uses scientific methods during field and laboratory investigations. The student is expected to:

(A)  Plan and implement experimental procedures including asking questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and selecting equipment and technology;

(B)  Make quantitative observations and measurements with precision;

C)  Organize, analyze, evaluate, make inferences, and predict trends from data;

D)  Communicate valid conclusions;

E)  Graph data to observe and identify relationships between variables; and

(F)  Read the scale on scientific instruments with precision.

(3)  Scientific processes. The student uses critical thinking and scientific problem solving to make informed decisions. The student is expected to:

(A)  Analyze, review, and critique scientific explanations, including hypotheses and theories, as to their strengths and weaknesses using scientific evidence and information;

(B)  Express laws symbolically and employ mathematical procedures including vector addition and right-triangle geometry to solve physical problems;

(D)  Describe the connection between physics and future careers;

Content-specific TEKs

Physics, Pre-calculus, Geology

Physics:

4)  Science concepts. The student knows the laws governing motion. The student is expected to:

(A)  Generate and interpret graphs describing motion including the use of real-time technology;

(B)  Analyze examples of uniform and accelerated motion including linear, projectile, and circular;

(C)  Demonstrate the effects of forces on the motion of objects;

(D)  Develop and interpret a free-body diagram for force analysis; and

(E)  Identify and describe motion relative to different frames of reference.

(5)  Science concepts. The student knows that changes occur within a physical system and recognizes that energy and momentum are conserved. The student is expected to:

(A)  Interpret evidence for the work-energy theorem;

(B)  Observe and describe examples of kinetic and potential energy and their transformations;

(C)  Calculate the mechanical energy and momentum in a physical system such as billiards, cars, and trains; and

(D)  Demonstrate the conservation of energy and momentum.

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Pre-calculus:

(3)  The student uses functions and their properties to model and solve real-life problems. The student is expected to:

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

(B)  Use regression to determine a function to model real-life data;

(C)  Use properties of functions to analyze and solve problems and make predictions; and

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

(5)  The student uses conic sections, their properties, and parametric representations to model physical situations. The student is expected to:

(A)  Use conic sections to model motion, such as the graph of velocity vs. position of a pendulum and motions of planets; and

(D)  Use parametric functions to simulate problems involving motion.

(6)  The student uses vectors to model physical situations. The student is expected to:

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

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

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Geology:

(7)  Science concepts. The student knows the origin and composition of minerals and rocks and the significance of the rock cycle. The student is expected to:

(A)  Demonstrate the density, hardness, streak, and cleavage of particular minerals;

(B)  Identify common minerals and describe their economic significance;

(C)  Classify rocks according to how they are formed during a rock cycle; and

(D)  Examine and describe conditions such as depth of formation, rate of cooling, and mineral composition that are factors in the formation of rock types.

(6)  Science concepts. The student knows the processes of plate tectonics. The student is expected to:

(A)  Research and describe the historical development of the theories of plate tectonics including continental drift and sea-floor spreading;

(B)  analyze the processes that power the movement of the Earth's continental and oceanic plates and identify the effects of this movement including faulting, folding, earthquakes, and volcanic activity; and

(C)  Analyze methods of tracking continental and oceanic plate movement.

(8)  Science concepts. The student knows the processes and end products of weathering. The student is expected to:

(A)  Distinguish chemical from mechanical weathering and identify the role of weathering agents such as wind, water, and gravity;

(B)  Identify geologic formations that result from differing weathering processes;

(C)  Illustrate the role of weathering in soil formation.

(5)  Science concepts (Astronomy). The student knows the scientific theories of the evolution of the universe. The student is expected to:

(A)  Research and analyze scientific empirical data on the estimated age of the universe;

(B)  Research and describe the historical development of the Big Bang Theory; and

(C)  Interpret data concerning the formation of galaxies and our solar system.

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National Standards - National Science Education Standards and

• Identify questions and concepts that guide scientific investigations.
• Design and conduct scientific investigations.
• Use technology and mathematics to improve investigations and communications.
• Formulate and revise scientific explanations and models using logic and evidence.
• Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and models.
• Communicate and defend a scientific argument.

Content-specific National Standards

Physics, Pre-calculus, Geology

Physics:

• Objects change their motion only when a net force is applied. Laws of motion are used to calculate precisely the effects of forces on the motion of objects. The magnitude of the change in motion can be calculated using the relationship F = ma, which is independent of the nature of the force. Whenever one object exerts force on another, a force equal in magnitude and opposite in direction is exerted on the first object.
• Gravitation is a universal force that each mass exerts on any other mass.
• The total energy of the universe is constant. Energy can be transferred by collisions in chemical and nuclear reactions, by light waves and other radiations, and in many other ways. However, it can never be destroyed. As these transfers occur, the matter involved becomes steadily less ordered.
• All energy can be considered to be either kinetic energy, which is the energy of motion; potential energy, which depends on relative position; or energy contained by a field, such as electromagnetic waves.

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Pre-calculus:

• Understand vectors and matrices as systems that have some of the properties of the real-number system;
• Develop an understanding of properties of, and representations for, the addition and multiplication of vectors and matrices;
• Understand and compare the properties of classes of functions, including exponential, polynomial, rational, logarithmic, and periodic functions;
• Identify essential quantitative relationships in a situation and determine the class or classes of functions that might model the relationships;
• Draw reasonable conclusions about a situation being modeled;
• 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;
• Recognize and use connections among mathematical ideas;
• Understand how mathematical ideas interconnect and build on one another to produce a coherent whole;
• Recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of mathematics;
• Create and use representations to organize, record, and communicate mathematical ideas;
• Select, apply, and translate among mathematical representations to solve problems;
• Use representations to model and interpret physical, social, and mathematical phenomena;

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Geology:

• The sun, the earth, and the rest of the solar system formed from a nebular cloud of dust and gas 4.6 billion years ago. The early earth was very different from the planet we live on today.
• Geologic time can be estimated by observing rock sequences and using fossils to correlate the sequences at various locations. Current methods include using the known decay rates of radioactive isotopes present in rocks to measure the time since the rock was formed.
• Interactions among the solid earth, the oceans, the atmosphere, and organisms have resulted in the ongoing evolution of the earth system. We can observe some changes such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on a human time scale, but many processes such as mountain building and plate movements take place over hundreds of millions of years.
• The origin of the universe remains one of the greatest questions in science. The "big bang" theory places the origin between 10 and 20 billion years ago, when the universe began in a hot dense state; according to this theory, the universe has been expanding ever since.
• Early in the history of the universe, matter, primarily the light atoms hydrogen and helium, clumped together by gravitational attraction to form countless trillions of stars. Billions of galaxies, each of which is a gravitationally bound cluster of billions of stars, now form most of the visible mass in the universe.

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National Technology Standards

Content Standard 1  Basic operation and concepts

• Students demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems.
• Students are proficient in the use of technology.

Content Standard 2  Social, ethical, and human issues

• Students practice responsible use of technology systems, information, and software.
• Students develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity.

Content Standard 3  Technology productivity tools

• Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.
• Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.

Content Standard 4  Technology communications tools

• Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences.
• Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.

Content Standard 5  Technology research tools

• Students use technology tools to process data and report results.

Content Standard 6  Technology problem-solving and decision-making tools

• Students use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions.
• Students employ technology in the development of strategies for solving problems in the real world.

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Assessments

Physics, Pre-calculus, Geology

Physics

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Pre-Calculus

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Geology

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