Astronomy Detectives: The Mysteries of Earth & Mars
My project needs hands-on science materials to carry out investigations that compare Earth to Mars. This includes foam board, straws, salt, thermometers, toothpicks, sandpaper, a Mars globe, and tweezers.
I teach Science and an elective Aerospace course at a rural middle school in western Washington. My school serves children from grades 6-8.
Thank you for reading my proposal. I am excited about the opportunity to provide Mars and Earth hands-on activities. Many areas of science such as chemistry and physics are easy to incorporate hands-on activities. Astronomy is more difficult as most everything we study is not within reach. Yet, it is so important to provide these hands-on activities for astronomy as well. As NASA prepares to go to Mars, students need background knowledge about the properties of Mars and need to engage in hands-on moon activities. In addition, our school district has faced major budget cuts and hands-on materials for science are very difficult to obtain.
My students will become astronomy detectives and solve mysteries about Mars by comparing it to Earth, examining models, and by performing experiments. This proposal will enable my students to engage in a comparative study of the features of Earth and Mars. They will use the materials listed along with coordinate graphing skills to locate past geological features and potential landing sites. The best part comes when my students hypothesize, recommend future landing sites, and plan a mission to Mars based on their newly acquired knowledge!
Your support will enable my students to use hands-on activities, critical thinking skills, and their imagination order to learn about Mars and propose future exploration.
More than a third of students from low‑income households
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