Remote Sensing Beta Test – Science Activity 4: Choose a Landing Site and Science Showcase

Remote Sensing: Activity – Science S4 card front

Activity Timing

5 min. Introduction
15 min. Choosing a Landing Site
30 min. Prepare for the Showcase
30 min. Science Showcase
5 min. Reflect

85 min. Total

Prep Snapshot

Prep Time: 15 min (several days in advance) 

Send Science Showcase Invitations to community members. 

S4 Educator Guide

S4 Student Notebook

This snapshot intended for quick reminders and is not a replacement of the guide. Be sure to use the guide for detailed preparation instructions and implementation scripts.

Glossary

21st Century Skills Connection

Communication

Science Practices

  • Interpreting Data 
  • Constructing Explanations 
  • Communicating Information 

Activity Overview

Youth combine multiple data sets made possible by technologies that engineers designed to choose a safe and scientifically interesting landing site for a Mars rover. They then share their findings with the whole group and with invited guests. 

Guiding Question

Which landing site on Mars do we recommend, and why? 

Youth Will Do

  • Integrate their understanding of prior data sets to select where to land on Mars.    
  • Justify their reasoning about landing site selection and communicate their explanation to others. 

Youth Will Know

  • Using different types of remote sensing gives a more complete understanding of an area. 
  • Choosing a site involves making tradeoffs. 

Videos Related to this Activity

Family Connections Story Prompt

Can you tell me a story about how you made an important decision? Did you follow a process? Who did you talk to?

Additional Resources

Connecting Across Activities

  • In the previous three Activities, youth examined different kinds of remote sensing data from Mars.
  • In this Activity, they apply what they have learned about landforms, topography, and minerals as they select landing sites.