Lesson 4 | Exploring Mars | 5th Grade Language Arts

Lesson Overview

Objective

Explain the importance of each stage of the engineering design process and how NASA engineers used the process to prepare for Mars.

Readings and Materials

Book: The Mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity by Elizabeth Rusch pp. 15–19 — close read

Lesson Notes

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Resource: Robots: Machines on the Move

Lesson Notes

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Lesson Map

Lesson

Identify and explain the goal of the Mars Exploration Rover Mission and why it was important.

Materials

The Mighty... pp. 1–7

Standards

RI.5.3RI.5.8

Lesson

Explain how Steve’s proposals for missions were different from previous missions to Mars and what problem he was trying to solve.

Materials

The Mighty... pp. 8–13

Standards

RI.5.3

Lesson

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.

Materials

The Mighty... pp. 14–19

Standards

RI.5.3

Lesson

Explain the importance of each stage of the engineering design process and how NASA engineers used the process to prepare for Mars.

Materials

The Mighty... pp. 15–19 — close read
Robots

Standards

RI.5.3

Lesson

Explain what the team did to prepare Spirit for the trip and why they were worried.

Materials

The Mighty... pp. 20–23

Standards

RI.5.3

Lesson

Explain the steps necessary for Spirit’s landing and why each step was important.

Materials

The Mighty... pp. 24–29 — skip page 28

Standards

RI.5.3

Lesson

Use details from the video and sidebars to revise and add additional information about the steps necessary for Spirit’s landing and operation.

Materials

The Mighty... — pages 28 and 30
“How We Landed...”

Standards

RI.5.3SL.5.2W.5.9

Lesson

Project

2 days

Develop and design an Entry, Descent, & Landing system for a rover using the engineering and design process.

Materials

NASA poster — Activity #4 on pages 22–25 of the PDF

Standards

3-5-ETS1-13-5-ETS1-23-5-ETS1-3

Lesson

Describe where Opportunity landed, what Opportunity found, and how the team responded to Opportunity’s findings.

Materials

The Mighty... pp. 29–33 — Start after the paragraph break "While Spirit's" and skip page 30

Standards

RI.5.3

Lesson

Analyze the strategies Elizabeth Rusch uses to make science feel like an adventure.

Materials

The Mighty... — close read

Standards

RI.5.8SL.5.1SL.5.4SL.5.5W.5.9

Lesson

Describe the different accomplishments made by Spirit and Opportunity and what made the accomplishments possible.

Materials

The Mighty... pp. 34–39 — skip page 38

Standards

RI.5.3

Lesson

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.

Materials

The Mighty... — page 38 and sidebar on page 39

Standards

RI.5.3RI.5.9

Lesson

Project

2 days

Develop and design a communication protocol for rovers using the engineering and design process.

Materials

Rover Races Activity

Standards

3-5-ETS1-13-5-ETS1-23-5-ETS1-3

Lesson

Explain what evidence the author includes to support the idea that math is a critical component of space exploration and engineering.

Materials

The Mighty... pp. 40–44

Standards

RI.5.3RI.5.8

Lesson

Explain what initial discovery Opportunity makes inside Endurance Crater and the tools and techniques scientists used.

Materials

The Mighty... pp. 44–45

Standards

RI.5.3

Lesson

Discussion

Debate and analyze unit essential questions.

Standards

RI.5.9SL.5.1SL.5.3

Lesson

Writing

2 days

Write a multiple-paragraph essay to answer a unit Essential Question.

Standards

W.5.2.bW.5.2.cW.5.2.dW.5.2.eW.5.9

Lesson

Narrative Writing

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.

Materials

The Mighty...
Narrative Brainstorming Graphic Organizer

Standards

L.5.1.cL.5.1.dL.5.2W.5.3W.5.3.aW.5.3.bW.5.3.dW.5.5W.5.8

Lesson

Analyze the importance of the sun for Spirit’s survival and the steps scientists take to ensure Spirit has access to the sun.

Materials

The Mighty... pp. 46–51

Standards

RI.5.3

Lesson

Summarize “Mars Rovers Advance Understanding of the Red Planet”.

Materials

“NASA Press Release 1”

Standards

RI.5.2RI.5.3

Lesson

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.

Materials

The Mighty... pp. 52–55

Standards

RI.5.2RI.5.3

Lesson

Use details from the articles to revise and add additional information about the challenges Opportunity faced when approaching Victoria Crater.

Materials

“NASA Press Release 2”
“NASA Press Release 3”

Standards

RI.5.3RI.5.9

Lesson

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.

Materials

The Mighty... pp. 52–55
“NASA Press Release 2”
“NASA Press Release 3”

Standards

RI.5.3

Lesson

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.

Materials