Please make sure you always have the most recent version of my products, I update my products all the time! I am a science teacher who is still in the classroom and every time I use one of my lesson plans, I think of new things to add! Please make sure you always have my latest version. Here’s how: -On the TpT homepage, click on “MY TpT” (top right) -Click on “MY PURCHASES” -look for my product, if you see the words “NEWLY REVISED RE-DOWNLOAD” this means I have a newer, better version.. There is no need to re-purchase the product for the updates, simply click on that link and you’ll get the latest version! Thank you!! Follow my store! You will receive an email every time I put up a freebie or a new product for sale.To follow me, go to the top right of this page where you see my photo, next to the little green star it says “Follow Me”. Click on that and you’ll receive the email updates. Thanks for stopping by my PK – 4 science store! Sue Will there be a manned mission to Mars? From President Barack Obama’s April, 15 2010 speech regarding the administration’s space policy: “By the mid-2030s, I believe we can send humans to orbit Mars and return them safely to Earth. And a landing on Mars will follow. And I expect to be around to see it.” (Applause) From President Barack Obama’s October 12, 2016 essay published on CNN’s website: “We have set a clear goal vital to the next chapter of America’s story in space: sending humans to Mars by the 2030s & returning them safely to Earth, with the ultimate ambition to one day remain there for an extended time.” Mission statement from the private agency Mars One: NASA is studying the effects of a mission to Mars here on Earth via the HI-SEAS (Hawai’I Space Exploration Analog & Simulation) program. In August 2016, 6 volunteers completed a one-year simulated mission! For a year, they lived and worked in a small habitat, never went outside without a spacesuit on, and did not see or call family and friends. Have your students dream, imagine, create! Teach them all about the Red Planet using the 13 slides in this packet (I project these onto my whiteboard to use in our class discussions). Use the Mars worksheet to record information about Mars. Then give your students this challenge: You are the first group of astronauts to set foot on the planet Mars. There is nothing there except for dirt, rocks, & mountains. You must establish a human settlement. There is no return ticket home. Design & then build models of structures your colony needs to survive! Let your students be engineers – designing and creating on their own – they will amaze you with their creativity! My 4th graders loved creating a Mars colony! Directions on how to create a colony are included in the packet along with color photos of my class’s work. Worksheets: Engineering Design Process, Structure Parameters Checklist, Creating a Mars Colony: What is Necessary/ Unnecessary, Building Rationale, Draw the Structure worksheet, answer keys provided. I give my students recyclable materials to use when building their structures: toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, yogurt cups, tissue boxes, cereal boxes, cracker boxes, any item made of chipboard, plastic food containers, milk cartons, etc. NGSS standards met with this packet: Grades 3-5: ENGINEERING DESIGN 3-5--ETS1-1: Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that included specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost. 3-5--ETS1-2: Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem. 3-5--ETS1-3: Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved. Follow my store! You will receive an email every time I put up a freebie or a new product for sale.To follow me, go to the top right of this page where you see my photo, next to the little green star it says “Follow Me”. Click on that and you’ll receive the email updates. Thanks for stopping by my PK – 4 science store! Sue Please note: these units are for the use of one educator. If you would like to share my lesson plans with a co-worker, your team, your school, or your district, please purchase multiple licenses which are offered at half price. When you click “add to cart”, please also click on “ buy licenses to share” and then enter the quantity of half-price licenses. Thank you so much!! Sue from Science for Kids :) STEM