Curriculum / ELA / 5th Grade / Alternate Unit 4: Exploring Mars: Spirit and Opportunity / Lesson 12
ELA
Alternate Unit 4
5th Grade
Lesson 12 of 33
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Lesson Notes
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Use details from the articles and sidebars to revise and add additional information about the different accomplishments made by Spirit and Opportunity and what made the accomplishments possible.
Book: The Mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity by Elizabeth Rusch — page 38 and sidebar on page 39
Website: Spacecraft: Surface Operations: Instruments by Jet Propulsion Laboratory
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Tasks that represents the peak thinking of the lesson - mastery will indicate whether or not objective was achieved.
Use details from the articles and the sidebars to revise your target task from the previous lesson. What additional information did you learn about Spirit’s and Opportunity’s accomplishments and what made them possible?
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Questions about the text that will help guide the students understanding
The Mighty Mars Rovers: Determine a main idea of the section “Living on Martian Time.” How is the main idea supported by key details?
The Mighty Mars Rovers: Determine a main idea of the section “Driving Without a Driver.” How is the main idea supported by key details?
The Mighty Mars Rovers: Why does the author include the image on page 38? How does it help a reader better understand how a mini-TES works?
Pick two instruments that were on Spirit and Opportunity. Explain how each instrument works and the type of information scientists received from the instrument.
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RI.5.3 — Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.
RI.5.9 — Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
Standards that are practiced daily but are not priority standards of the unit
L.5.1 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
L.5.2 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
W.5.4 — Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1—3 above.)
W.5.5 — With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
W.5.10 — Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Next
Develop and design a communication protocol for rovers using the engineering and design process.
Identify and explain the goal of the Mars Exploration Rover Mission and why it was important.
Standards
RI.5.3RI.5.8
Explain how Steve’s proposals for missions were different from previous missions to Mars and what problem he was trying to solve.
RI.5.3
Explain why it took three years for Steve’s team to create the rovers and describe the steps the team took to ensure the rover was ready for a trip to Mars.
Explain the importance of each stage of the engineering design process and how NASA engineers used the process to prepare for Mars.
Explain what the team did to prepare Spirit for the trip and why they were worried.
Explain the steps necessary for Spirit’s landing and why each step was important.
Use details from the video and sidebars to revise and add additional information about the steps necessary for Spirit’s landing and operation.
RI.5.3SL.5.2W.5.9
2 days
Develop and design an Entry, Descent, & Landing system for a rover using the engineering and design process.
3-5-ETS1-13-5-ETS1-23-5-ETS1-3
Describe where Opportunity landed, what Opportunity found, and how the team responded to Opportunity’s findings.
Analyze the strategies Elizabeth Rusch uses to make science feel like an adventure.
RI.5.8SL.5.1SL.5.4SL.5.5W.5.9
Describe the different accomplishments made by Spirit and Opportunity and what made the accomplishments possible.
RI.5.3RI.5.9
Explain what evidence the author includes to support the idea that math is a critical component of space exploration and engineering.
Explain what initial discovery Opportunity makes inside Endurance Crater and the tools and techniques scientists used.
Debate and analyze unit essential questions.
RI.5.9SL.5.1SL.5.3
Write a multiple-paragraph essay to answer a unit Essential Question.
W.5.2.bW.5.2.cW.5.2.dW.5.2.eW.5.9
4 days
Write a narrative from the perspective of one of the Mars rovers about what it was like to land on Mars using descriptive details from the unit.
L.5.1.cL.5.1.dL.5.2W.5.3W.5.3.aW.5.3.bW.5.3.dW.5.5W.5.8
Analyze the importance of the sun for Spirit’s survival and the steps scientists take to ensure Spirit has access to the sun.
Summarize “Mars Rovers Advance Understanding of the Red Planet”.
RI.5.2RI.5.3
Summarize what happened with Opportunity on his way to Victoria Crater and the steps the team at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) took to remedy the situation, by explaining the relationship between two or more scientific and technical ideas.
Use details from the articles to revise and add additional information about the challenges Opportunity faced when approaching Victoria Crater.
Compare and contrast the points of view from which the Mighty Mars Rovers and the press releases are written, by analyzing multiple accounts of the same topic.
Analyze the strategies Elizabeth Rusch uses to make science feel like an adventure, by explaining how authors use word choice, language, and point of view to support particular points in a text.
RI.5.5RI.5.8
Summarize what Spirit found and how the team responded, by integrating information from several texts on the same topic.
Summarize what happened to Opportunity and how the team responded by integrating information from several texts on the same topic.
Compare and contrast how text structure and point of view influence the mood of a text.
RI.5.5RI.5.9
Analyze and explain the reasons and evidence the author includes to show that the rovers' missions were “more than accomplished.”
RI.5.8
Debate and analyze unit Essential Questions.
SL.5.1SL.5.3W.5.9
W.5.2W.5.2.bW.5.2.cW.5.2.dW.5.2.eW.5.9
Gauge student understanding of unit content and skills with one of Fishtank's unit assessments.
Write an afterword for The Mighty Mars Rovers by writing an informative text to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
RI.5.9W.5.2W.5.2.bW.5.2.cW.5.2.dW.5.2.eW.5.7W.5.8
Using the engineering and design process, develop and design a rover that can travel on Mars and can pick up samples.
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