After doing shared activities to learn about the Mars Rover Mission, students work in cooperative groups, study a NASA mission, and design our next United States mission into space. Students will organize information gathered from related space mission web sites to write a persuasive essay convincing the United States President and Congress to approve and fund their project as our next mission into space. Students also design a mission space vehicle and astronaut mission patch as part of their presentation. Projects will be shared in the form of oral presentation.

This unit is designed for fifth grade students working in a computer lab. This unit may be adapted for students in grades five through twelve and may be done in a classroom or library setting. Students use a group checklist to self evaluate their progress. A rubric used as an assessment tool to be used by the teacher. This unit might be used in conjunction with Rocketry In Motion, another TeachNet unit.

1. Uses information technology to navigate, gather, analyze, organize, and present information related to United States space missions.

2.  Participates in group meetings to research, discuss, and evaluate information related to space missions found on the World Wide Web.

3.  Interprets and synthesizes information to produce a narrative account in the form of a persuasive essay regarding a newly designed future space mission.

4.  Demonstrates a basic understanding of the rules of the English language in written and oral work in writing and presenting a persuasive essay and plans for a future space mission.

5.  Analyzes and subsequently revises written work related to an original future space mission to improve its clarity and effectiveness.

6.  Prepares and delivers oral presentations regarding an originally designed future space mission.

7.  Develops pride and a sense of accomplishment in being able to design a future United States space mission.