Teachable Moment: NASA’s ‘Cyber Monday’ Mars Landing to Deliver Science Firsts

Find out how to make NASA's next Mars mission a Teachable Moment and get tips and lessons for engaging students.

Teachable Moment: NASA InSight Lander to Get First Look at ‘Heart’ of Mars

Find out what makes NASA's InSight mission a Teachable Moment and get tips and lessons for engaging students

Robotic Arm Challenge

In this challenge, students will use a model robotic arm to move items from one location to another. They will engage in the engineering design process to design, build and operate the arm.

Grades K-8

Time 30 mins - 1 hr

*NEW* Planetary Poetry

In this cross-curricular STEM and language arts lesson, students learn about planets, stars and space missions and write STEM-inspired poetry to share their knowledge of or inspiration about these topics.

Grades 2-12

Time 1-2 hrs

*NEW* Exploring the Colors of Mars

Students use satellite and rover images to learn about the various features and materials that cause color variation on the surface of Mars, then create their own “Marscape.”

Grades 2 and 5

Time 1-2 hrs

*NEW* Planetary (Egg) Wobble and Newton's First Law

Students try to determine the interior makeup of an egg (hard-boiled or raw) based on their understanding of center of mass and Newton’s first law of motion.

Grades 3, 6-8

Time 30 mins - 1 hr

Touchdown

Students design and build a shock-absorbing system that will protect two "astronauts" when they land.

Grades 3-8

Time 30 mins - 1 hr

Mission to Mars Unit

In this 19-lesson, standards-aligned unit, students learn about Mars, design a mission to explore the planet, build and test model spacecraft and components, and engage in scientific exploration.

Grades 3-8

Time Varies

*NEW* Heat Flow Programming Challenge

Students use microcontrollers and temperature sensors to measure the flow of heat through a soil sample.

Grades 5-12

Time 1-2 hrs

Quake Quandary

In this illustrated math problem, students use the mathematical constant pi to identify the timing and location of a seismic event on Mars, called a "marsquake."

Grades 11-12

Time Less than 30 mins

Mars in a Minute: How Do You Choose a Landing Site?

So, you want to study Mars with a lander or rover – but where exactly do you send it? Learn how scientists and engineers tackle the question of where to land on Mars in this 60-second video.

Mars in a Minute: How Do You Get to Mars?

What does it take to get a spacecraft to Mars? This 60-second video covers a few key things to remember when planning a trip to the Red Planet.

Mars in a Minute: How Do You Land on Mars?

Getting a spacecraft to Mars is one thing. Getting it safely to the ground is a whole other challenge! This 60-second video from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory explains three ways to land on the surface of the Red Planet.

Mars in a Minute: What's Inside Mars?

We know what the Red Planet looks like from the outside – but what's going on under the surface of Mars?

Mars in a Minute: Are There Quakes on Mars?

Are there earthquakes on Mars – or rather, "marsquakes"? What could they teach us about the Red Planet?

Mars in a Minute: How Did Mars Get Such Enormous Mountains?

Why are the tallest peaks in the solar system found on one of its smallest worlds? Like any planet, how Mars looks outside is tied to what goes on inside.