Introduce your class to the steps that occur in the manufacturing of parts, the assembly, and the testing of a Mars rover. Pupils learn about fabrication techniques and tolerances in the manufacturing process. 

One of the learners in your class might be the first human to step onto the surface of Mars, or the first to design a spacecraft that collects data from the red planet. Prepare them for the adventure with a set of 24 lessons, complete...

The good thing about building this rover is you get to eat it afterwards. Pairs determine rover parts they want to include in their design based upon their cost and usefulness. The teams design their rovers, build them from edible...

In July of 2020, NASA plans to launch a new Mars rover. An out-of-this-world video explores this exciting mission. It describes goals of the mission and the many challenges involved. It also offers hope for new findings and new...

Operating a vehicle remotely can be difficult, especially when the vehicle is on another planet. Young engineers get a feel for some of the real-world challenges as they work to program their rovers (blindfolded group members) through an...

Check out the Mars Rover Spirit and what it saw on Mars. Spirit takes on a life of her own as NASA engineers use personification to describe Spirit's actions and adventure on an alien planet. Tip: Have learners compose a descriptive...

What did the Mars Rover Opportunity find as it landed on the Martian surface? Opportunity sent amazing and highly informative images back to NASA that has enabled scientists to better understand the Martian landscape. This clip is sure...

Design and build a rover ... then eat it? This activity has groups of two design and build Mars rovers. The teams determine what instruments they want to include with their rover and plan a budget. They calculate the cost of the body of...

Help your class understand the importance of exploration using robots. with a resource that provides a short history of robotics as a lead into looking at Martian robotic exploration missions. The activity specifically looks at the...

Take your science class on a hypothetical field trip to Mars with an engaging astronomy lesson. After first learning about NASA's Mars rover missions, young scientists plan their own scientific investigations of Earth's nearest neighbor.

Model the landing of the Mars Rover using an egg. The STEM activity has pupils create a landing device for a falling egg to simulate the landing of the Mars Rover. They test their devices through experimentation to safely land the device.

New ReviewIs it possible to contaminate the planets our astronauts or rovers visit? With current technology, it is impossible to send a completely sterile rover to Mars, and there could be up to 30,000 different microbes on the space traveler!...

Maneuvering the Curiosity Rover is a little more complicated than driving in a video game! NASA researchers use photos from the rover and satellites to determine the direction of travel, and slow-moving communication makes for a...

Help your class understand the design challenges when trying to land a remote spacecraft on a planet. Class members examine the provided information to understand how each component of a spacecraft is designed in order to safely land a...

Can Mars support human life? Researchers may have found evidence of water on Mars with information from the Curiosity Rover. An episode of a larger solar system playlist discusses the other life-sustaining elements and atmospheric...

In this Mars Rover Landing instructional activity, students are given an image of Mars near the Bonneville Crater. Students determine the image scale in the diagram and use it to find the diameter of the Bonneville Crater, the width of...

Over half of the missions sent to Mars failed. Our closest neighbor in the solar system has a fascinating history that we just started learning. The video offers insights into this interesting planet that is literally covered in rust!

Students investigate the equipment of Planetary Land Rovers. They construct one using various food products for construction materials. The lesson includes historical background for the teacher to introduce the information. The grading...

Learners simulate driving a rover in Mars. In this space science lesson, students navigate an obstacle while blindfolded and guided by verbal commands only. They assess the challenges encountered by astronauts in operating a rover.

How important is accuracy? Why can't we just get close to the right answer in math? This video explains the calculations that had to be correct down to the second in order to capture the photo of the Mars rover landing. The resource goes...

Have you ever wondered what a solar eclipse looks like ... on Mars? Explore eclipses throughout the solar system with a video from a comprehensive playlist that covers many physics concepts. With images and conceptual drawings, viewers...

The classic egg-drop experiment gets a new bounce with an activity that asks pairs to design a lander similar to one used to land a rover on Mars within a fixed budget. The activity provides a great introduction to the idea of terminal...

Get your learners interested in space exploration. Groups design space rovers using design software and then build prototypes of their designs. The farther the rovers can travel, the better. The catch? The rovers must be powered by...

New ReviewIt turns out driving a remote rover from more than 50 million kilometers away is a difficult task. But, what if a drone could scout the terrain in advance? That is the premise of the proposed Mars 2020 rover. A SciShow Space series video...