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Life on Mars

Human space travelers have ventured into low Earth orbit and to the moon. Mars will
probably be the first planet (other than Earth) that people visit. The conditions on Mars
are very different from those on Earth. Scientists and engineers continue to work on
new technology to help people live and work in such a harsh environment.

In this activity, you will design a model of a base that would allow humans to live on
Mars.

Identify the Problem

1.You are a space engineer. You want to model a base in which people could live
and work on Mars. What problems do you think you will encounter on Mars?

Do Research

Examine photos of the surface of Mars- see link posted on my webpage (Unit 8, May 25th). Study the data sheets that compare conditions (posted on my webpage, May 25th)
on Mars and on Earth.

2.What are the features of Earth that support human life?

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3.How well suited is the Mars surface for humans? Explain.

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Name Date

4.What are your design constraints? Describe the big challenges with traveling to and living on another planet.

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Develop Possible Solutions

5.You will need to consider the following problems that will arise due to conditions on Mars and determine how you will overcome them in your design plan.

Base Problem / Why is this a problem for humans on Mars? / How will your design solve this problem?
Air
Water
Food
Temperature
Shelter
Gravity
Solar Radiation

Draw and Describe your Design

6.Draw your design on separate sheets of paper. You must have an exterior view and an interior view. Draw each one on its own piece of paper. Number and label the key features of the exterior and the interior.

7.On a piece of loose-leaf paper, describe each feature of your base. Include the number and label you gave each feature on your drawing. Your description for each feature needs to explain how it solves a problem with living on Mars.

Evaluate

8.Compare your design with those of your classmates. As you walk around and view the Mars Bases, your classmates designed choose 3 designs to comment about. What do you like about their base? What do you think could be improved? Explain.

Design 1

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Design 2

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Design 3

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Mars Base Project Evaluation

Criteria / Description / Score
Identify the Problem & Do Research / Appropriately and correctly identify the problems with space travel and living on Mars.
Develop Possible Solutions / Clearly describe realistic solutions to the problems of living on Mars.
Draw your Design / Clearly draw an exterior and interior view of your base. Number and label the features.
Describe your Design / Clearly describe each feature of your base and how it solves a problem with living on Mars.
Evaluate / Carefully evaluate three classmates designs.
Overall Score