Mission to the Red Planet

Introduction

Introduction:

October 1, 2030

Fellow Scientist:

NASA just announced that it is going to be sending an expedition to Mars to start a colony.  You have been chosen to be part of the reasearch and development team for the Mars colony.  Your team will be joined by a 100 person crew to build and run your new Mars colony.  Prior to leaving, your team will need to design the buildings in which you will live and determine how your community will survive.  Each member of your team will need to be assigned a job based on their knowledge and interests and one person will be chosen as your team leader.  In order for you to complete your task, you will need to work together, sharing information and helping each other complete the assigned tasks.  You have only 5 weeks to turn in and present your proposal to the NASA review board.  Failure will mean the entire mission will get scrubbed by the Fed's.

Good luck,

Mission Control

Task

Task

Each team will need to design a colony that will allow you and 100 other people to live on Mars for at least 6 months at a time.  Your team will need to include the following in your plan:

  1. The name of your colony located with a dot on the class map of Mars.  The landscape and weather of Mars should be thought about when choosing where to put your colony.
  2. A travel brochure about the planet Mars and your colony.  You need to include: basic facts and information about Mars, the location of your colony, and describe why people would want to visit it-what makes it special.
  3. A scaled drawing or model of your colony with labels for each area and system.  Examples could include a garden, water recycling center, living quarters, etc.  You also need a brief explanation of why each system is important for survival.  Examples could include the air source, artificial gravity, temperature control, recycling of body and garbage waste, etc.
  4. A realistic plan for how human needs (water, food, clothing, exercise, etc) will be met in the short term and the long term.  This will need to include a chart with how much is needed for daily, monthly, and yearly amounts.  You will also need to make a list that shows which items can be used again (renewable) or can't be used again (nonrenewable).  Your plan should tell us how or why your items will meet all your human needs and for how long.  Since the soonest space shuttle return is 6 months away, you will need to plan for at least that long.
  5. A daily work log that tells about what each person on your team did.  This should include how you helped each other, and any problems that you need to work on during your next class period.  This should be in the form of a diary entry (not a list).  It can also be used as a thinking place where you write down ideas about items needed, things to bring, etc.

Process

Process

Scientists at NASA today are contemplating how to colonize Mars.  This is no easy task.  These scientists must take all aspects of a biosphere into account.  For example they must consider:

  • Nutrient and chemical cycles
  • Food webs
  • Interdependence of organisms
  • Geography
  • Space flight and transportation
  • Construction of buildings
  • Energy
  • And many others

 

 Everyone will have an essential role to play in this mission and each will address different aspects of colonizing Mars.

Step 1: Your first job is to split up the roles amongst your group (i.e. who does what?)
Step 2: Think of as many questions related to your respective role. The questions below should help you get started, but you need to think of more!
Step 3: Do your research. Learn more about your questions and how they relate to the problem at hand; colonizing mars. Feel free to ask me any questions to help you find information. Also, the "Helpful Websites to get you Started" section at the bottom of the page should help you get started.
Step 4: Compile all of your information, summarize your information and get ready to share that information with your team.
Step 5: Give yourself a pat on the back, nice job!

Phase I:  Meet Your Team

Each of you has been selected for this team because you are the best of the best.  The following are jobs to be assigned in each group:

Biologist 
· What will you eat? 
· What organisms will you bring to mars when you colonize? 
· How will those organisms be sustained, that is, what will you do in order to ensure that species don’t go extinct? 
· How will you deal with the issues of overpopulation? 
· What types of plants will you bring? 
· THINK OF EVERYTHING BIOLOGY RELATED THAT YOU WILL NEED TO CONSIDER WHEN YOU ARE LIVING ON MARS.

Chemist 
· How will chemicals be recycled? 
· What chemical cycles will be present? 
· How will you drink water and breathe air? 
· THINK OF EVERYTHING CHEMISTRY RELATED THAT YOU WILL NEED TO CONSIDER WHEN YOU ARE LIVING ON MARS.

Physicist / Construction 
· How will your colony gain energy to power machinery, lights, etc.? 
· What will you use to construct your buildings? 
· What will your colony look like? 
· Where will you build your colony? 
· What will your colony be called? 
· How will you ship materials from Mars to Earth, and Earth to Mars? 
· THINK OF EVERYTHING PHYSICS / CONSTRUCTION RELATED THAT YOU WILL NEED TO CONSIDER WHEN YOU ARE LIVING ON MARS.

Medical Doctor: Develop a realistic plan for how human needs (such as water, food, vitamins, clothing, exercise, fun, etc.) will be met in the short and long term. This should include a chart that shows how much will be needed for the settlement.  This chart will help you plan for how much you will need to either bring or otherwise obtain for your colony to survive. Use the following questions and resources to help you perform these tasks.

  • What things do we need to survive?
  • How much would a settlement of 100 people need a day, a month, a year?
  • How will this volume of items be met at first and in the long run?
  • Which of these items are renewable and nonrenewable?
  • Where or how will you get all these items?

Group Leader:  Write a detailed, and accurate work log for what is accomplished by the group each day.  This should include: what everyone did on their own, what they did together, problems they ran into, how they solved or plan to solve them, and any other ideas related to the colony.  This should be at least 3 pages long and be completed near the end of each work day.  If you are ill, then you should have a plan for who will complete it while you are out for that day. 

You will also be responsible for creating the cover page, table of contents, and final asssembly of  your group's proposal.  The final proposal should be turned into the NASA board in a report folder (which will be given), and look as professional as possible (in order, free of grammar and spelling errors, written in a preapproved font, etc.)  See Phase III for more details.

As a group, you will need to write a 1 to 2 paragraphs conclusion to persuade the NASA Review Board to accept your proposal. You should include facts and features about your colony as reasons for NASA to choose your plan over other plans (what makes your colony the best choice).   

As a group, you will also create the Works Cited page with a listing of any websites used other than those provided in this phase for information or pictures.  It is easiest to update this daily and add them as you go!

Phase II:  Job Task Outlines

The following are the sections or tasks you will need to include as part of your plan or proposal.  The NASA Review Board will evaluate your proposal using the guidelines found in the Evaluation Section.  If you use any website OTHER than those listed below, you will need to include them on your works cited page at the end of your proposal.  You will each be responsible for the following task:

Task One:  You will also need to make a brochure about your colony that lists general facts about Mars (climate, weather, terrain features, etc.), and shows the location of your colony .  You will also need to include some of the colony's features and comforts, and why you chose that location.  Use the following questions to help you perform these tasks.

  • Location: What considerations should be made about the landscape (terrain), planet make up (geology) and weather before deciding on a location for your settlement?

 

Task Two:  Create a scaled diagram or model of the settlement.  You should include labels of buildings/areas with what they are used for.  In addition to the diagram, you will also need to write at least two paragraphs describing what technology/systems are making it possible for humans to live in your settlement (climate, air, gravity, size that's large enough to house all 100 people, privacy/public areas, recycling of resources, waste disposal, etc.) Use the following questions and resources to help you perform these tasks.  You are also going to need graph paper to create your diagram on.  Either find some in the room, or go to the following link to print off some graph paper (may need 3 or more sheets).  The map scale should be 1 square is equal to 10 feet.

  • What environmental things do we need to survive?  How can we build this environment on the surface of Mars for 100 people?  What technologies/systems will be needed for this to be possible?  Where will the resources/energy come from to sustain this environment?  How will waste be dealt with?

Task Three:  Develop a realistic plan for how human needs (such as water, food, vitamins, clothing, exercise, fun, etc.) will be met in the short and long term. This should include a chart that shows how much will be needed for the settlement.  This chart will help you plan for how much you will need to either bring or otherwise obtain for your colony to survive. Use the following questions and resources to help you perform these tasks.

  •  What things do we need to survive? How much would a settlement of 100 people need a day, a month, and a year?  How will this volume of items be met at first and in the long run?  Which of these items are renewable and nonrenewable?  How or where will you get all of these items?

Task Four:   Group Proposal; 

The final proposal should be turned into the NASA board in a report folder (which will be given), and look as professional as possible (in order, free of grammar and spelling errors, written in a preapproved font, etc.)  See Phase III for more details.

As a group, you will need to write a 1 to 2 paragraphs conclusion to persuade the NASA Review Board to accept your proposal. You should include facts and features about your colony as reasons for NASA to choose your plan over other plans (what makes your colony the best choice).   

As a group, you will also create the Works Cited page with a listing of any websites used other than those provided in this phase for information or pictures.  It is easiest to update this daily and add them as you go!

Phase III: Putting it all Together:

Formatting of your Proposal

All Sections (except the Cover Page), should be formatted with 1” margins, size 12 font (Arial, Veranda, Times New Roman, Century Gothic, and Tahoma only).  Titles on all sections should be centered and in 16-18 size bolded font.  The colony name and page number is to be in the top right hand header.

Remember that as you do this proposal that any plagiarism will result in a grade of zero for the project.  Plagiarism is when you quote someone else’s words or ideas and do not let the reader know who said it.  For the purpose of this project, you are not allowed to use any direct quotes – it must all be in your own words.

You will need to include the following areas, in this order, in your proposal:

Cover Page:

        * All text to be centered on page

        * Must include the name of your colony, the names of your team with their job areas, and the date the proposal is completed (or due).

        * Can also include a graphic or photo.  See the websites listed below.

Table of Contents:

        * Section names to be lined-up on the left with the page numbers lined up on the right – dashes or dots should connect the two sides together.

        * Table of Contents should be at the top of the page (under header) and centered as the title.

        * Can also include a graphic or photo if desired.  See the websites listed below.

* Brochure of Mars and your colony – should be a minimum of 1 page in length and have at least 3 graphics (no larger than 2”x2”).

* Map of Mars with your colony located on the map and latitude/longitude coordinates listed next to it. On classroom map.

* Diagram of your settlement – if larger than a standard sheet of paper, then it may be folded and inserted into a clear sheet protector (provided if asked for). Should be drawn to scale and be labeled accordingly.  If done as a model, write "See Model" in table of contents.

* Rationale on how this colony will support life – minimum of 2 paragraphs with a minimum of 4 complete sentences in each paragraph. 

* Human Needs chart listing what is needed to survive and how much will be required a day, a month, and a year for the colony's population.

* Human Survival plan is to be a minimum of 1 page if written in paragraph form and 1-2 pages minimum if written in outline format.

* Conclusion which is 1-2 paragraphs to persuade the NASA Review Board to accept your proposal.

* Daily Work log is to be a minimum of 3 pages and detail the group work as outlined in Phase II.  Should also include time management plan.

* Works Cited - a listing of any websites used other than those provided in Phase II for information or pictures. 

 

Helpful Websites to get you started:

Lichen: http://www.redcolony.com/art.php?id=0109020
Mars exploration, colonization and terraforming: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/mars/mars_colonize_terraform.html
Why colonize mars?: http://www.nss.org/settlement/mars/zubrin-colonize.html
Six step plan for colonizing mars: http://www.popsci.com/military-aviation-space/article/2007-01/hijacking-red-planet
Company tasked with colonizing mars: http://www.space.com/news/050908_four_frontiers.html
How terraforming mars will work: http://www.howstuffworks.com/terraforming.htm
The first step in terraforming mars: http://www.geocities.com/marsterraforming/terraforming.html
Terraforming mars: http://quest.nasa.gov/mars/background/terra.html
Terraforming mars - general information: http://www.universetoday.com/2004/02/03/terraforming-mars/
Life on mars: http://www.scienceinschool.org/2008/issue8/terraforming/
Colonize the moon before mars?: http://www.thespacereview.com/article/221/1

ExploreMarsNow  http://www.exploremarsnow.org/

Red Colony  http://www.redcolony.com/art.php?id=0508050#null

Human water consumption  http://www.csgnetwork.com/humanh2owater.html

NASA News  http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast05jan_1/

Mars photos  http://space.about.com/od/mars/ig/Mars-Pictures-Gallery/index.htm

NASA photo gallery  http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/photogallery-mars.html

Evaluation

Evaluation

 

Beginning

1

Developing

2

Accomplished

3

Exemplary

4

Score

Student will create a scaleddiagram of the colony with labels for the purpose of each area

  The map has some buildings and labels, not likely to sustain population, is not drawn to scale and flawed The scaled map has several labeled buildings, could sustain population, is fairly neat in appearance The scaled map has a network of labeled areas, could sustain population, neat in appearance  The scaled map has a network of labeled areas and systems, would sustain population, clean in appearance

Student will write an explaination on how their settlement will be able to support life

Less than two paragraphs that gives some ideas on how life will be supported, 5+ spelling/ grammar errors

Two paragraphs that give some examples on how life will be supported, 4> spelling/ grammar errors

Two paragraphs that gives a  description on how life will be supported by areas and systems, 3> spelling/ grammar errors  

Two+ paragraphs that explain how life will be supported by the areas and systems, 2> spelling/ grammar errors

 

Students will create a 1-2 page plan  based on collected data on how human needs will be obtained, met and sustained in a correct format

 Some suggestions are made on how life may be sustained -no mention of data or how items will be obtained, 4+ g/s errors, less than one page, incorrect format

Ideas given in a plan on how life may be sustained -brief metion of data, some reference on how items will be obtained, 3-4 g/s errors, less than one page, format okay

 Ideas  given in an organized plan on how life will be sustained, most data referenced, how items obtained listed, 1-2 g/s errors, one page, format good Ideas given in an organized  plan on how life will be sustained, all data referenced, how items obtained listed for short/long term, 1> g/s errors, 1-2 pg. format excellent

Student will create a chart that shows what items are needed for survival and in what quantities

 Some items listed, not all categories filled in, unclear organization A general list of items included, all categories filled in, but with errors, organiation okay A detailed list of items given, all categories filled in correctly, organization followable A detailed list of items given, all categories filled in correctly, organized clearly
Student will write a daily log that details the work of each team member, problems experienced, and ideas and thoughts related to the colony creation Work is described in no particular order, less than 1 page, 5+ g/s errors, missing days or information Work is described by person and day, 2 pages or less, 4>g/s errors, gives some sense of what each member did Work and ideas are detailed day by day, 2-3 pages, 3> g/s errors, reader has a general idea of what each member did

Work and ideas are detailed day by day, 4+ pages, 2> g/s errors, reader has a clear team member's work

 Student will create a brochure that gives information about Mars and lists the features and comforts of the settlement to include its location on a map and why it is located there (reasoning)

Some statistics & data listed about Mars and settlement, less than 1 page, no/lg graphics, 4+ g/s errors, unorganized, no mention on location reason

 General statistics and data listed for Mars and settlment, 1 page, 2> graphics, 3> g/s errors, organized ok, location shown, no reasoning

 Statistics and info listed depict what Mars and settlement like, 1 page, 3 graphics,  2> g/s errors, fairly organized, location shown, brief reasoning 

Statistics and info listed illustrate what Mars and settlement like, 1 page, 3+ graphics, 1> g/s errors, clearly organized, location shown and reasoning explained

Students will name their settlment  and locate it using a dot, listing the region in, and give the logitude and latitude coordinates on a map of Mars

 The name, coordinates, region or point are not provided The name and region is provided, but the coordinates or region name are not correct in comparrison to point on map The name and region is provided but one of the coordinates is not correct in comparison to point on map The name is provided and the coordinates and region are correct in comparison to point on map

Students will present proposal with with all sections included in the correct order and format

Proposal is missing  section(s) of the proposal, has many marks and formatting errors

Proposal has all sections, but is not in order, has some marks and formatting errors

Proposal has all sections in order, has few marks and formatting errors

Proposal has all sections in order, has no marks and/or formatting errors

 
Conclusion

Conclusion

Congratulations!  The NASA Review Board would like to thank you for all of the time and effort that you put into your proposals.  They will examine them and make a decision about your proposal in the next couple of days.  In the mean time, you will have some thinking to do.  Based on what you learned while creating this proposal, are you ready to go and settle on Mars?  What or who would you want to take with you?  What about Earth life do you think you would miss the most?  Write your responses to these questions in your science thinking journal (worth 25 points).

Well, don't start packing your bags yet!  The Fed's still have to approve the budget for our project which will probably require around one-hundred billion dollars.  To find out more or to stay up to date on the Martian settlement projects, go to the NASA or other websites you have visited this last month.  You never know - one day you might become a Martian!

 

Teacher Page

Students will explore the planet Mars and develop a settlement which can support 100 people on its surface.

Teacher Introduction

This WebQuest has students put themselves in the role as a developer and member of the new Martian settlement.  They have only 5 weeks to submit their proposal to the NASA Review Board before the whole expedition will be "scrubbed" by the Fed's.  Using critical thinking and problem solving skills, students will determine where and how they will live, what they will need to survive in the short and long term, and suggest an idea of what it might be like to live there. This integrated unit discusses topics such as human habitat, human survival needs, human consumption rates, renewable and nonrenewable resources/recycling, geography and geology concepts, and technology/science as a part of our society. 

The intent of this WebQuest is to provide the students with not only a knowledge of human needs and information on Mars, but also provide a glimpse of the possibilities that technological advancements and human ingenuity might one day invoke.  This project was born from the desire to give our students a chance to think "outside of the box" while meeting state standards.  I hope that your students will enjoy this WebQuest adventure, and that you will be amazed with what solutions they come up with as much as we always are.