Sometime in your lifetime, space exploration
may lead to a human mission to Mars. The red
planet has been a source of fascination for
humans, and an inspiration to writers of science
fiction, for many years. As our neighbor in
the solar system, Mars has been studied through
telescopes, space probes, and most recently,
by spacecraft that actually landed on the surface
of Mars. We have taken photographs of the surface
of Mars and analyzed the chemical composition
of its atmosphere. But we have not yet been
able to collect rocks from Mars and bring them
back to Earth for study.
However, we have studied rocks from
Mars. Scientists have identified several groups
of meteorites found on Earth's surface as rocks
that originated on Mars. Some of these meteorites
appear to include evidence in their structure
that life once existed on Mars. What kind of
evidence do these rocks hold? Why do scientists
think that life may once have existed on the
planet Mars?
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Your job in this WebQuest is to learn all
about Mars rocks. You will learn about the
planet Mars and about space missions to Mars
of the past, present, and future. You will
find out what types of meteorites came from
Mars, and why these rocks have been identified
as coming from that planet. You will discover
the evidence that leads scientists to the conclusion
that life once existed on Mars. You will also
learn about plans for a mission to Mars that
will collect rocks from the planet's surface
and bring them back to Earth for analysis.
Finally, you will answer a set of questions
to demonstrate what you have learned about
Mars rocks, and about the possibility of life
on Mars.
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Look at the web sites given here to find the
information that will enable you to answer
questions about Mars rocks.
- Explore
Mars.
Visit this site for articles and data tables
about the planet Mars. You can learn about
the history of humanity's quest to understand
Mars and about the possibility of human missions
to Mars. Scroll down and click on robot missions
to find out more about past, current, and
future robotic missions to Mars.
- NASA
Announces New Evidence Regarding Past
Life on Mars.
At this Discovery.com site you can read an
article about new information on life on
Mars. The article supports the statements
made by scientists in 1996 that a Martian
meteorite called ALH84001 includes magnetite
crystals that were produced by living organisms.
- New
Evidence Strengthen Claims of Ancient
Life on Mars.
Visit this Discovery.com site to read an
article that supports the evidence from Martian
meteorites that life once existed on Mars.
Martian meteorite ALH84001 is one of 16 meteorites
found on Earth that are believed to have
originated on Mars.
- The
Whole Mars Catalog.
Go to this Discovery.com site for all kinds
of information on Mars. Scroll down and click
on searching for life to see a list of articles
on Martian meteorites and missions planned
to bring samples back from the surface of
Mars.
- Mars
Meteorites.
Visit this NASA site for more information
on Mars meteorites. Scroll down to see a
table that lists the known Mars meteorites,
including their locations, the dates they
were discovered, their mass, and the type
of rock they are made of.
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1 class period for research and answering
the set of questions.
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Read through the following set of questions
before you begin your Internet research. As
you explore each site, look for answers to
the questions.
Questions about Mars Rocks!
- How did meteors from Mars arrive on Earth?
- What type of rock are most Martian meteorites?
- What does the term snc achondrites refer
to?
- Why is it important to identify the gases
trapped inside Mars meteorites?
- What do Martian meteorites tell us about
Mars?
- There is a future mission to Mars planned
that will send a spacecraft to collect rock
samples on the surface of the planet. What
is the name and the launch date of this spacecraft?
- Why do we need to collect rocks from the
surface of Mars?
- What evidence shows that Mars may once
have had liquid water?
- What are some reasons that scientists think
living things may have existed on Mars approximately
3.6 billion years ago?
- Based on your research, form an opinion
as to whether life once existed on Mars.
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In the process of completing this WebQuest,
you've become informed about the planet Mars,
and about the possibility that life once existed
there. You have learned about past, present,
and future missions to Mars. You have discovered
the reasons that scientists think life may
once have existed on Mars. You have also developed
research skills as you explored the web sites
given, and identified the relevant information
to answer the set of questions above. Do you
think materials found in Mars meteorites support
the idea that life once existed on Mars? Why
is finding evidence of water on Mars important
for future exploration of Mars?
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