In this 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.
In this challenge, students will program a rover to use a color sensor on several rock samples, allowing them to simulate how the Mars Curiosity rover uses its ChemCam instrument to analyze light emitted from geological samples on Mars.
In this illustrated problem set, students use pi to compare the sizes of Mars landing areas, calculate the length of a year for a distant solar system object, measure the depth of the ocean from an airplane, and determine the diameter of a debris disk.