This NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) planet profile provides data and images of the planet Mars. These data include planet size, orbit facts, distance from the Sun, rotation and revolution times, temperature, atmospheric composition, density, surface materials and albedo. Images with descriptions include surface features such as canyons, volcanoes, Viking 1 and 2 landing sites, ... Full description.

This site from SERC presents Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) warm up questions about life on the Moon and Mars. The questions promote the examination of Archaea, evidence of life on Mars and protolife on the Moon, as well as what it would mean to scientists and society if life were found on Mars or the Moon. Full description.

This interactive activity lets you explore the Valles Marineris canyon (the size of the US) and a piece of it called the Candor Chasm. Using a 3D model of Mars' surface created using data from orbiting spacecraft, you can examine the surface from a distance, changing lighting to enhance features, and fly over the surface, looking for markers hidden in the terrain. Informative feedback makes the exercise ... Full description.

This Nine Planets page contains details about the planet Mars. Information includes planet diameter, mass, distance from the Sun, orbit, and mythology. Also covered are planet composition, surface features, atmosphere and magnetic field data, temperature on the planet, and results from exploration spacecraft. Phobos and Deimos (Mars satellites) are also covered in depth. The site provides links to ... Full description.

This interactive activity lets you launch a spacecraft from Earth and see if it hits Mars. To do so, you need to launch the spacecraft at the right time, and the program calculates the thrust and direction. Full description.

Students will learn that Mars, and each planet in the solar system, is unique due to the materials from which it is made and the processes that shaped it. Images and information from Mars exploration voyages, including the Viking Mission in 1975, the Pathfinder Landing in 1997, the Mars Global Surveyor project, the Mars Odyssey and Mars Express spacecrafts, the Mars Exploration Rovers, and the Reconnaissance ... Full description.

This NASA-hosted site is a section of the Mars Pathfinder Science Results Directory with a specific emphasis on the geologic and geomorphic characteristics observed. Many photos and satellite images are available, with the option to view and download full size images. Scientific theories are offered as to the probable geomorphic agents sculpting Mars' surface. Full description.

This site demonstrates how, with the use of orbital mechanics, a space mission to Mars can be planned. Using no more than algebra, Kepler's laws and the formula for the energy of an object in a Kepler orbit, it derives the time for an optimal flight to Mars, the timing of the flight, the thrust needed to enter the orbit and to leave it upon arrival, and details of the flight back to Earth, including ... Full description.

This National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) site contains links to classroom resources and curriculum supplements relating to the exploration of Mars. Topics covered in these lessons include craters, water on Mars, Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Pathfinder, solar system distances, the Martian calendar, possibilities of life on Mars, and exploration of this planet. There is also information ... Full description.

This educational module is designed to teach students to understand and appreciate that it is necessary to use special tools and equipment to do work and solve problems in space. In order to gain this understanding, students first need to understand Earth-Mars similarities, realize how different the Martian environment is from that of Earth, and encounter some of the special problems (like great distance) ... Full description.