This lesson plan is part of the DiscoverySchool.com lesson plan library for grades 9-12. This lesson covers the exploration of Mars from the 1960s to recent times. Information includes mission findings, and the NASA 3 phase strategy of finding information (reconnaissance, surveillance, in-depth study). It includes objectives, materials, procedures, discussion questions, evaluation ideas, suggested ... Full description.

The Atmosphere of Mars is a Windows to the Universe Exploratour and provides information and images about composition of the Martian atmosphere, atmosphere layers, temperature, weather, clouds on Mars, clouds at the polar caps, fronts, temperature, storms on Mars, global wind, global dust storms, The Viking Mission, and the Mars Pathfinder. Windows to the Universe is a user-friendly learning system ... Full description.

In this lesson students explore the summer temperature of Mars and compare it to Earth, looking at their own city as well as the Earth as a whole. This is the third in a series of interactive student lessons from the Martian Sun Times. Full description.

This activity uses an image of landslides and craters at the wall of Valles Marineris on Mars to teach students how the notion of superposition can help to determine the sequence of events in a planet's geologic history. Full description.

The Surface of Mars is a Windows to the Universe Exploratour and provides information and images about different features found on the surface and the geography of the planet, continents on Mars, altimeters, Valles Marineris, Tharsis Ridge, craters, dune fields, polar caps, ice cliffs, volcanoes, Olympus Mons, water features, and soils on Mars. Windows to the Universe is a user-friendly learning system ... Full description.

In this activity, students make a simple features map and interpret the geologic history of a part of the surface of Mars. Full description.

This collection of questions about Mars covers basic facts about the planet and how it compares to Earth, whether there is water or precipitation, the history of the Martian terrain and climate, and information about volcanoes on Mars. Full description.

In this lesson students explore Kepler's law and planetary orbits. This is the fifth in a series of interactive student lessons from the Martian Sun Times. Full description.

This guide introduces teachers to the use of Mars Orbital Laser Altimeter (MOLA) data in the classroom. MOLA data is used to create global topographic maps of Mars and to provide information about properties such as surface roughness, elevation, cloud coverage, brightness, and water flow. This dataset consists of two years of altimetry data on Martian surface features; it can be used to teach Martian ... Full description.

This interactive activity lets you explore the Gusev Crater on Mars in 3D. This is the landing site for the MER rover in January 2004. The 3D model was 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. Full description.