Lesson Plan 3: Living on Mars: Growing Seeds (A&B)

Living on Mars: Growing Seeds (A&B) LESSON SUMMARY

This lesson plan is designed to introduce students to some of the current Mars exploration projects in an effort to expand their imaginations to think about what life might be like on other planets. Currently, Mars Rovers are sending us information about the Red planet, and scientists are thinking about sending humans to live on Mars. Students will do a science experiment with seeds to better understand the conditions needed for growing plants which could be a source of food on Mars for future explorers.

Grade Levels: 1-3 Educational Outcomes:

1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) Students will learn basic facts about Mars. Students will learn about Mars exploration. Students will learn more about what plants need to grow. Students will compare different fruits and their seeds. Students will count and graph their observations. Students will share their observations in an oral report.

Estimated Time: 70 minutes (Activity A and B can be separated into two lessons) Introductory Discussion: 15 minutes Activity A: 15 minutes Discussion: 5 minutes Activity B: 25 minutes Summary/Sharing : 10 minutes Materials:
PowerPoint/Computer Playdoh 3 balls; 1- inch ball, 2-inch ball, and 4-inch ball for demonstration. For Growing Activity #1:

Seeds: beans, grass seed, carrot seed, or any kind of easy to sprout seed Containers: Small plastic bags, Dixie cups, egg cartons, or ice cream cones Dirt, Sand, or Paper towels Water, measuring cups or measuring spoons Place with sunlight Masking Tape/Markers for information: name, date, time of watering, etc.

For Observation Activity Counting and Sorting #2

Paper or newspaper for covering tables Paper, or empty egg cartons, (for counting/sorting) Markers Strawberries vs. Pumpkins (or Pomegranates- NOTE: Pumpkins may be hard for younger children and may require more adult supervision. Pomegranates will require some type of plastic smock because the juice will stain clothes. Either fruit represent one unit with huge output of seeds.)

Download: Edmoto for Science Notebook

California Science Content Standards Connections: Life Science: Grade 1 2, 2a, 2b, 2c; Grade 2- 2, 2a, 2e, 2f; Grade 3 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d Earth Science: Grade 3 4 Investigation and Experimentation: Grade 1- 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d; Grade 2 4a, 4b, 4c, 4e, 4g; Grade
3- 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e CCSS English Language Arts: Grades 1, 2, 3 - Reading Literature 1.2; Writing 2, 5, 6; Comprehension and Collaboration 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 2, 2a, 3, 5; Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas 5 Visual and Performing Arts Theatre: Grade 12.0,2.2, 4.0, 5.2; Grade 2- 2.0, 2.1, 4.0, 4.2, 5.0, 5.1, 5.2; Grade 3- 2.0, 2.1, 5.0, 5.1, 5.2 Visual Arts - Grade 1 2.1, 2.3, 4.3; Grade 2- 4.1, 4.2; Grade 3- 5.2

Lesson Vocabulary
These are words and concepts that we will help students learn during this lesson.

Earth: is the third planet from the Sun; the planet on which we live; the world. Mars: is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second smallest planet in the Solar System Moon: the only natural satellite of the earth, visible (chiefly at night) by reflected light from the sun. Orbit: the curved path of a celestial object or spacecraft around a star, planet, or moon Planet: a celestial body moving in an orbit around a star. Plant: a living organism of a kind that typically has leaves and flowers, such as trees, shrubs, herbs, grasses, ferns, and mosses Root: the part of a plant that attaches it to the ground and brings water and nourishment to the rest of the plant. Seed: a part of the plant that is capable of developing into another such plant. Sun: the star around which the earth orbits.

Lesson Plan - Living on Mars: Growing Seeds

Introductory Discussion: 10 minutes Presentation Slide One: Our Solar System : Next Stop Mars

Lead students in a discussion about the Solar System, do they remember anything about the relationship of the Sun to the Earth. (Size, distance, orbit?) Today we are going to focus on the relationship of the Earth to our neighboring planet, Mars.

It might be helpful to remember that the Moons diameter is that of Earth, and that the Earth is the 3rd planet from the sun. Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and its diameter is twice the size of the moon, or that of Earth. (Playdoh might be fun to use again for the relative sizes: 1-inch ball for moon , 2-inch ball for Mars, and 4-inch ball for Earth) Presentation Slide 2 : Mars

Mars is a red planet.

Presentation Slide 3 : Earth and Mars orbiting the Sun

Optional information to talk about is included in Slide 3: How far is Earth from the Sun, how far is the Moon from Earth, how far is Mars from Earth? This slide is a good visual tool to compare how long it takes each planet to go around the sun. Presentation Slide 4 : Mars

But why is everyone talking about Mars? NASA has several missions to Mars.

Presentation Slide 5: A Family of Mars Exploration vehicles

In 2012, the Mars rover, Curiosity landed on Mars. Curiosity is the first of its kind, a large roving science laboratory on wheels. Curiosity is the size of a small SUV and trying to land her on the surface was a very difficult mission. Play Video: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/interactives/edlcuriosity/index-2.html

Some scientists are thinking that humans should live on Mars, and they are making plans.

Presentation Slide 6: Humans landing on Mars

Ask the students to think about what we would need to live on Mars. What do they think the scientists are doing to make that future possible? Designing Rockets, space ships to get humans safely there (8 month trip- one way!!) Looking for water, or sources of water? Taking soil and rock samples to determine the natural resources of Mars Analyzing the temperature on different parts of the planet. Understanding the air quality and atmosphere. Creating Green Houses to grow food. These are all correct!

Presentation Slide 7: The Future is Near, Agro Pods

Activity A: Seeds in the classroom - 15 minutes (Some students have already done this
project. But this is good to review before comparing fruits for Mars Activity B.) NOTE: If you have a classroom or school garden: do the first activity in Ice Cream Cones!

What do seeds need to grow? Water and Light? Do they need anything else? Some people think seeds need soil. What do you think? There are many ways to do this experiment. Depending on your classroom space, student interest, etc. you can change the format and conditions for your experiment. Seeds: beans, grass seed, carrot seed, or any kind of easy to sprout seed Containers: Small plastic bags, Dixie cups, egg cartons, or ice cream cones Dirt, Sand, or Paper towels Water, measuring cups or measuring spoons Place with sunlight Masking Tape/Markers for information: name, date, time of watering, etc. Students can select the conditions for their experiment and write the information in their science journal. A good app is Edmoto for keeping notes. If you have enough supplies, let the children make two! Or team them up with a partner so they can observe the differences in their choices over time. Another option is for the teacher to also have a couple of experiments going with more controlled conditions. Such as exactly the same Dixie cup, measurements and ingredients, both get placed in the sunlight, but one has a shoe box covering it. Compare what happens. This activity should be given some time, to allow the students to maintain and observe their experiments and report back on what helped or hindered plant growth.

What you need:

Activity B: Strawberries vs. Pumpkins (or Pomegranates: See note under materials)
Have a discussion about the seed experiment, what did they learn?

Presentation Slide 9: Back on Mars

Script: Well science experts, NASA called and we are headed to Mars, but there is only so much room in our space capsule. We will need to send a capsule of plant foods before we arrive. What should we send? How will we know what is best?

Presentation Slide 11: Farming in Containers

Lettuce looks good!

Presentation Slide 12: Astronaut Food

Here is some current food astronauts eat. But what else will you miss eating? Maybe fruits and vegetables. Presentation Slide 13: Fruits and Vegetables

What are your favorite types of fruits or vegetables? What would be a good choice for Mars? If we can only send one capsule of fruit, what would be a good choice? How would we know? We might have to do some experiments.

Ready to Experiment, Document and Make Observations Have students cover their desks with newspaper or butcher paper. Have students form groups, they will work in teams to document their observations,
take pictures, and count and sort seeds. Hand out 2 Strawberries and one Pumpkin to each team. Ask the students to think about bringing these fruits to Mars, why would that be a good choice or why not? Have the students make some observations. o What color is the fruit? o What size? o What shape? o How heavy? o What else can they say just by looking at it? Ask them to draw a picture of their fruits. Write some observations in the form of sentences.

Applying Technology: Keeping a Science Notebook is easy with Edmoto and an iPad! Have students open the Edmoto App and start a notebook. They can also use the iPad to take pictures of their fruit as they go through the experiment.

How many seeds does the strawberry have? If your students know how to do estimates, they can practice on the strawberry. Most strawberries have nearly 200 seeds, but students can try to count or figure out a good way to do an estimate to get to a specific number. What about the pumpkin? (This is where the experiment will get a little messy. Take off the top of the pumpkin (It is recommended that the teacher or adult volunteer do this prior to the activity, because it takes a sharp knife and a little bit of extra time) Let the teams dig into the pumpkin with their hands, and try to collect all the seeds. It is not easy, and will take a while. Encourage the students to continue documenting their process, by taking pictures and adding notes about their observations about the inside of the pumpkin. How does it feel? What does it look like?

Do you think there are more seeds in the pumpkin or on the strawberry?

Have the students sort the seeds by size, quality, etc. Students might even ask if a seed should count if it is misshaped or flat, let their teams decide. Now it is time to compare. Which fruit makes a better fruit to send to Mars. (Older students may think back to the seed in the window experiment, and include the amount of care, sunlight and water into their final analysis.) Tell students that they will have to share their final conclusion and the reasons for their conclusion with the class. Some may want to use the iPad, some may want to make a poster, graph or chart. Encourage their creativity: you might be surprised by the results!

Summary/Sharing : 15 minutes Time to share. Sharing is an opportunity to be respectful as an audience and an

opportunity to show appreciation for another classmates creativity. Two Snaps! Giving snaps is a way for children to think about saying nice things to others in the group. After each presentation, ask for a SNAP from someone, each group should get at least 2 Snaps for their creativity. SAMPLE SNAP: I liked all the colors that Team Astroblaster used in their animation! This is a great time to congratulate the whole class by handing out strawberries to eat, or other great seasonal fruits. Mention how they are using another one of their 5 senses by tasting this delicious fruit. Summary Discussion: If you were going to live on Mars, what do you think you would miss? Astronauts are training for life in space. Some current astronauts are preparing for life on Mars. We know it takes at least 8 months to travel to Mars in a small capsule. Astronauts will not get to bring very much with them on their trip. What do you think you would want to bring with you to Mars? NOTE: If you find that the students are interested in this subject, there are many add on activities in the Resource Guide to keep them thinking about the Stars, space and other planets.

Assessment Tools for this Lesson: Rubric for Observations and Documentation based on Team Work, Effort, and Applied
Critical Thinking (Appendix C) http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?screen=PrintRubric&rubric_id=2391390&

Interesting facts about the fruits and vegetables used in Lesson 3:

Beans Did you know?
Beans grow upright on a bush or a climbing plant. Beans are an excellent source of protein, fiber, and vitamin C. Beans are different colors and shape. Retrieved from http://www.freshforkids.com.au/veg_pages/bean/bean.html

Pomegranates Did you know?

A pomegranate grows on a tree. A pomegranate will make a metallic sound when tapped when ripe. Pomegranates are very juicy, tasty, and healthy. Retrieved from http://fns.dpi.wi.gov/files/fns/pdf/ffvp_fs_pg.pdf

Pumpkins Did you know?

Pumpkins are fruits because they have seeds, but people think of them as vegetables. As a food, pumpkin can be baked, roasted, steamed, or boiled. As a snack, pumpkin seeds can be roasted. Pumpkins can grow over a 1000 pounds! The biggest pumpkin was 1810 pounds! Retrieved from http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/food/pumpkins.html

Strawberries Did you know?

On average there are 200 seeds on each strawberry. Strawberries are not really a berry, but a member of the rose family. The real fruits are actually the tiny yellow seeds on the outside. Strawberries are excellent source of fiber, vitamin C and a type of vitamin B (folate). Retrieved from http://www.freshforkids.com.au/fruit_pages/strawberry/strawberry.html