Mars Space Simulation with Engineering Challenges

Send Young Astronauts on a mission to Mars! This package includes a space simulation where students use knowledge of Earth, space, and space travel to land on Mars!

The purpose of this 8-10 day project is to allow students to investigate Earth’s place in space in an interactive simulation: Mission to Mars. Students will begin the simulation by researching Mars. Students will prepare for their journey by researching what is currently known about Mars. Groups will pull Fate Cards each day that will challenge them to describe and use information about space and space travel to survive their journey. Some challenges will provide groups with benefits from space, while others will require careful consideration and engineering designs to overcome said challenges. Students will be astronauts on a journey to the unknown.

Students will follow a daily checklist to ensure they are completing necessary tasks. Three engineering challenges are included in this simulation. Students will design a spacecraft, build a device that can move over a surface to detect a magnetic field, and design a device that uses kinetic and potential energy to core a sample from Mars. Students will journal daily about their journey to Mars. Journal entries are encouraged to include research with a creative narrative twist. Students love working together to write these entries!

Students will be engaged and excited throughout this simulation as they investigate space and Mars. Students will connect what they’ve learned about Earth’s spheres to what is known about Mars. This project integrates science, writing, reading, problem solving, and team work! Rubrics are included for the research report, daily journal entries, and group participation. This project requires very little teacher preparation and is almost entirely student directed!

Please see the Preview!

Thanks for viewing!
Amber Socaciu