Mapping mars
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/01/g68/marsmap.html
A lesson plan for Grade 6 Science
About this resource
- Appropriate grades
- 6
- Subjects
- science (astronomy, space exploration), thinking skills (higher order thinking, information literacy, research skills, visual literacy), education technology (integrating technology), teaching methods (cooperative learning, discussions, online learning)
- Provider
- National Geographic
Legal
This catalog record is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. This license applies to the content of this page only and does not apply to the referenced website.
In this Xpeditions lesson, students explore some common map projections and representations consider the ways that each representation can be used to show specific features of Mars. Activities in this lesson engage students in whole class discussion, development of map-reading skills, and online research.
Students will:
- explain the differences between globes and maps;
- read and answer questions about different map projections;
- look at pictures of Mars, and explain how they think it would be different to map Mars versus mapping Earth;
- explain the advantages and disadvantages of representing a planet's features in a close-up view;
- research and take notes on the technology used to explore Mars and the planet's geology and climate;
- discuss their research findings;
- draw pictures representing Mars in three different ways, and illustrate the pictures with details they've learned in their research; and
- write sentences explaining why they have chosen to use these particular representations of Mars.
Xpeditions provides detailed directions for completing the lesson, suggestions for assessment and extension activities, and links to related activities.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
Science (2005)
Grade 6
- Goal 1: The learner will design and conduct investigations to demonstrate an understanding of scientific inquiry.
- Objective 1.01: Identify and create questions and hypotheses that can be answered through scientific investigations.
- Objective 1.05: Analyze evidence to:
- Explain observations.
- Make inferences and predictions.
- Develop the relationship between evidence and explanation.
- Objective 1.08: Use oral and written language to:
- Communicate findings.
- Defend conclusions of scientific investigations.
- Objective 1.09: Use technologies and information systems to:
- Research.
- Gather and analyze data
- Visualize data.
- Disseminate findings to others.
- Objective 1.10: Analyze and evaluate information from a scientifically literate viewpoint by reading, hearing, and/or viewing:
- Scientific text.
- Articles.
- Events in the popular press.
- Goal 5: The learner will build understanding of the Solar System.
- Objective 5.01: Analyze the components and cycles of the solar system including:
- Sun.
- Planets and moons.
- Asteroids and meteors.
- Comets.
- Phases.
- Seasons.
- Day/year.
- Eclipses.
- Objective 5.02: Compare and contrast the Earth to other planets in terms of:
- Size.
- Composition.
- Relative distance from the sun.
- Ability to support life.
- Objective 5.03: Relate the influence of the sun and the moon's orbit to the gravitational effects produced on Earth.
- Solar storms.
- Tides.
- Objective 5.04: Describe space explorations and the understandings gained from them including:
- N.A.S.A.
- Technologies used to explore space.
- Historic timeline.
- Apollo mission to the moon.
- Space Shuttle.
- International Space Station.
- Future goals.
- Objective 5.06: Analyze the spin-off benefits generated by space exploration technology including:
- Medical.
- Materials.
- Transportation.
- Processes.
- Future research.
- Objective 5.01: Analyze the components and cycles of the solar system including:
