Solar System: Mars Exploration
Learn about the current exploration of Mars by two rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. Read about the third-grader who named the spacecrafts. Design a parachute for the rovers on an interactive site or create a model of a rover using crackers and candy. Watch animated movies showing the rovers taking off and landing, plus view the images that they have transmitted back to Earth. There are links to eThemes Resources on Mars, space exploration, space living, and international space station.
Grades
- 2,
- 3,
- 4,
- 5,
- 6,
- 7,
- 8,
- 9,
- 10,
- 11,
- 12
Links
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NASA: Mars Exploration
Read the latest news about the exploration of Mars and view the latest images sent by two American rovers. Scroll down for many more stories about the Mars exploration.
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NASA: Naming the Rovers
Read about the third-grade student who named the two Mars rovers. Read the short essay where she explains why she chose the names Spirit and Opportunity.
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NASA: Mars Exploration: Fun Zone
This site for kids has games and activities, including instructions for making your own Pathfinder model.
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NASA: Mars Exploration: Multimedia
Watch videos about Mars or view images of this red planet.
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Mars Family Guide Activity Teasers
This page has links to PDF documents with fun games and hands-on activities. Includes instructions for building an edible rover using Graham crackers and candy.
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NASA: Solar System Exploration
This site for kids has information about traveling to Mars plus a link to a diagram that help you build paper models of the orbiter Odyssey.
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NASA: Mars Exploration Rover: Send Us Your Rocks
Collect rocks from your hometown and send them to scientists who will study them and compare them to data about rocks from Mars.
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NASA: Mars Exploration Rover Mission: Images
View images from the rovers on Mars. Switch from Spirit to Opportunity by choosing the link on the left navigation bar.
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NASA: Mars Exploration Rover Mission: Multimedia
Watch movies about Mars and the two rovers.
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PBS: Mars Dead or Alive: Movie
Choose a link to one of the video players to watch a nine-minute movie about the journey to Mars.
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PBS: Mars Dead or Alive: Anatomy of a Rover
Click on the image to learn more about the two Mars rovers.
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PBS: Mars Dead or Alive: Design a Parachute
Click on the image to begin an interactive game that lets you design a parachute for the rovers.
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Enchanted Learning: Mars
Read about Mars and see illustrations. Scroll down the page for links to coloring pages, a quiz, and a puzzle.
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Mars
Learn about Mars and view photographs from the planet's surface. Choose a topic you want to read about and follow the links.
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Astronomy for Kids: Mars
Read about Mars and click on thumbnails to view enlarged photographs.
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Jellyplants on Mars
Read about the development of plants on Mars. Click on the audio icon to listen to the narration.
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ThinkQuest: Mars Academy
This student created webquest will give you information about mission to Mars. Learn about planning, crew selection, choosing landing site, orbit mechanism, and more.
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Wings over Mars
This beta version of downloadable Mars airplane simulation helps students to experience the role of Mission director who is controlling the ARES Mars Airplane from an Earth-bound control center. Includes movies and articles related to the simulation.
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Lesson Plan: The Technology of Mars Exploration
This lesson plan that helps students learned about technologies and methods used in Mars exploration.
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eThemes Resource: Solar System: Mars
Learn here about the fourth planet from the Sun - Mars. Read why people on Earth call Mars the Red Planet. Learn about similarities between these two planets. Find out whether there is or were life on Mars and what happened to Martian oceans. The following web sites contain images, simulating Mars movies, audio narration, worksheets, and quizzes. Also Included are eThemes Resources on Rotation, Revolution, and the Universe.
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eThemes Resource: Space: Exploration
These sites are about space exploration and the various technologies that have made this possible. Learn about satellites and spacecrafts. There are many interactive features, such as virtual tours of the planets, webcasts, and other exhibits. See photographs and videos of various launches and space explorations. There is a link to an eThemes Resource on the International Space Station.
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eThemes Resource: Space: Living
Learn how astronauts live in space. Topics include food, exercises, clothing, sleeping, etc. There are several science and math lessons about living in space, plus photographs and videos of astronauts. You can also submit your own questions to an astronaut. Includes a link to an eThemes Resource on space exploration.
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eThemes Resource: Space: International Space Station
These sites are about the International Space Station that orbits earth. Learn about the history of its development, its mission, and the astronauts who have lived there. Includes videos, animations, and photographs. There is a link to an eThemes Resource on space exploration.
Education Standards
