Topic: Touchdown
Specific Learning Outcomes: To engage in this engineering challenge, which will have students
studying which design will get the most lift. The testing is iterative. The students will articulate the
aspects of the design allowed the rocket to have the greatest distance.
Lesson Level Narrative
Landing on the surface of Mars is a daunting tasks. The mission crew has been in space for 300 days and are
now close enough to attempt a landing. The new problem that you engineers need to solve is how to enter,
descend and land on the surface of the planet. Your tasks is to use engineering design process to design and
build a shock-absorbing system out of paper, straws, and mini-marshmallows; then, attach your shock absorber
to a cardboard platform; and then improve the initial design based on test results.
Science & Engineering
Disciplinary Core Ideas:
Crosscutting Concepts:
Practices:
ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting
Influence of science, engineering,
Asking questions and defining
Engineering Problems
and technology on Society and the
problems
Natural World.
The more precisely a design tasks
Define simple problem that can be
criteria and constraints can be
The uses of technologies and any
solved through the development of
defined, the more likely it is that
limitations on their use are driven
a new or improved object or tool.
the designed solution will be
by individual or societal needs,
successful. Specification of
desires, and values; by the findings
constraints includes consideration
of scientific research; and by
Developing and Using Models to
of scientific principles and other
differences in such actors as
understand what it takes to land on
relevant knowledge that is likely to
climate, natural resources and
the surface of the moon.
limit possible solutions
economic conditions
ETS1.B: Developing Possible
Using scientific and mathematical
Solutions
reasoning
Research on a problem should be
Analyzing data from system trails to carried out before beginning to
design the system. Testing a
determine which design is best
solution involves investigating how
landing on the surface of Mars
well it performs under a range of
conditions
Constructing Explanations and
PS2.B: Types of Interactions
designing solutions
The gravitational force of the planet
Constructing explanations and
acting on an object near the
designing solutions in 3-5 builds on
surface pulls that object toward the
K-2 experiences and progresses to
planets center
the use of evidence in constructing
explanations that specify variables
that describe and predict
phenomena and in designing
multiple solutions to design
problems.
Possible Preconceptions/Misconceptions:
Elementary-school students typically do not understanding gravity as a force. They see the phenomenon of a
falling body as natural with no need for further explanation or they ascribe to it an internal effort of the object
that is falling (Obgborn, J. (1985). Understanding students understanding: An example from dynamics.
European Journal of Science Education, 7, 141-150.) If students do not view weight as a force, they usually think
it is the air that exerts this force. Misconceptions about the causes of gravity persis after traditional high-school
physics instruction. Misconceptions about the causes of gravity can be overcome by specially designed
instruction.
LESSON PLAN 5-E Model
VIDEO: Grab the students attention by showing a video or simulation about the landing on Mars
Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyktvC7w7Js
MODEL: Or drop an already developed model from 6 to 8 feet into a tub of sand. Then divide the
students into their engineering team so that they can work together to build their model.
EXPLAIN and CONNECT: Connect the importance of safe landing to the overall mission to MARS. Tell
the students why a spacecraft that can land gently is important for getting the mission crew to and from
Mars safely. Assign the students team roles, for example, a discussion leader, timekeeper for questions,
and a scribe or recorder.
EXPLORE: Lesson Description What should the teachers ask and do? What will
the students do? Y
Start giving examples of shock absorption: when someone jumps and hit the grown what happens? Who
knows about moon landing? What was the name of the first Apollo?
Student will be group to work together to built spacecraft lander, think about who is going to be in the
spacecraft and where is it going to be landing?
These landers needs to be able to have great shock absorption.
You astronauts need to stay inside the cups. You could not cover the top of the cup. Remember these
landers need to survive the landing. This is our prototype. We are testing these prototypes. Making sure
they can land. You are getting certain supplies, be creative. Analyze each material what are the
constraints and benefits of each material. How can they help with shock absorption.
Make sure you make observations at all times. Start brainstorming about ideas to make your landing
successful.
Remember our safety agreements and team work, everyone need to input in the experiment.
cardboard so that the weight is evenly distributed (if their model keeps tiping over and falling through
the air).
add soft pads or change the number or position of the shock absorbers, make springs less springy so they
dont bounce the astronauts out (if the astronauts are bouncing out of the cup).
Things to remember/ keep in mind: Landing on the moon is tricky. Since a spacecraft can go as fast as
18,000 miles per hour (29,000 km per hour) on its way to the moon, it needs to slow down. Then it needs
to land gently. And if there are astronauts on board, the lander needs to keep them safe, too.
Similarly, spacecraft on their way to Mars may be traveling as fast as 13,000 miles per hour (21,000 km
per hour) when they reach the red planet and need to slow down to land safely on the surface.
Whats next? Lead into the next lesson talking about roving around mars. What happens after we land?
(Everyone needs to get out first so hopfully the rocket was able to land on its butt with the doors easily
accesible. Rover, did it arrive with you? Is the set-up easy? Is it already there? Or is it arriving seperately?
Is it near you or do you have to go retreive it? Once we start roving: What are we looing for? How are
we going to get it? How are these artifacts going to help us study Mars?
EVALUATE: E
Formative Monitoring (Questioning / Discussion):
Have then come up to the front of the room and show and test their model in front of the class
After ask them about thier landing mechanism
How and what did they use?
What they noticed went wrong?
Ask them how they can improve their shock absorber
Brainstorm as a class different ways to improve one groups model incase they were not able to land safely