WebQuest: We're On A Mission: INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES

Before beginning the web quest, students worked on a shared activity in which the Mars Rover mission was studied. Activities included:

1. Use the resources on the bottom of this page to answer the questions on the chart below:

Use these resources to view Web Articles:

1. Use this site to learn about the Rover's objectives, instrumentation, missions, and photographs.

http://planetary.org/mars/mer.html

2. View photos, read about previous Mars explorations, research on Mars, and objective of Mars missions:

http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/

3. Cut out templates for building the Rover:

http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/MPF/mpf/education/cutouts.html

4. Explore the surface of Mars with photos taken by Rover:

http://marsquestonline.org/mer/

5. View the latest images of Mars:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/images.html

6. View archived photos from Rover:

http://space.com/marsrover/opportunity_archive.html

http://space.com/marsrover/spirit_archive.html

7. Find out about the objectives of the United States Geologic Society in participating in studying the Mars Rover mission, see topographic maps and images of the Pathfinder's landing site:

http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/Projects/MarsPathfinder/USGS_MPF_web_page2.html

8. Learn about the Mars missions objects, read a day by day journal, see the flight plan and learn about mission scientists:

http://athena.cornell.edu/the_mission/

Use these resources to view videos:

1. View the Mars Exploration Rover videos and web casts with people working on the Rover mission:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/

2. Journey to Mars, from lift off to landing with the Mars Exploration Rover:

http://maasdigital.com/mervideo-medium.html

3. View videos of live updates from Mars Rover or watch a sunset on Mars:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/video/movies/opportunity/opportunity_sol016b_320.mov

4. Watch a simulation of the Mars Rover moving across the surface of Mars:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/video/movies/opportunity/opportunity_sol016b_320.mov

Use these resources to interview an astronaut:

1. Meet Keith Nicewarner, Robotics Engineer, NASA Ames Research Center:

http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/people/bios/space/nicewarner.html

2. Meet Daniel Andrews, Controls & Automation Engineer, NASA, Ames Research Center

http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/people/bios/space/andrews.html

Use these resources to view astronaut patches:

1. Project Viking Mission to Mars patch can be seen here:

http://bahneman.com/liem/patches/nasa/viking.gif

2. View a variety of patches including ones for various Mars missions:

1. What are the objectives of the Mars Rover mission?
2. Which scientists were part of this mission? Download a photograph of each scientist and label each photograph. Write a brief biography of each astronaut.
3. Describe the Rover vehicles, Spirt and Opportunity, involved in the mission. What did it carry?
5. How long was did it take for the Rover to reach Mars? What powered its journey?
6. What experiments were done at the mission's destination?
7. What problems occurred during the mission?
8. How were any problems solved?
9. Describe projects and activities that took place at the mission destination.
10. What did we learn from the mission?
11, How much money did the mission cost?
12. Describe what a day on the Rover would be like.
13. Describe previous missions to Mars.