This Science On a Sphere (SOS) module is designed to help the public better understand the story of water on Mars and how we're learning more about it. It portrays the mystery of what happened to the water on Mars in the context of a detective... (View More) story. NASA's MAVEN mission (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutoN) will help solve this mystery by studying the Martian atmosphere, how it has changed over time, and how it interacts with the Sun and the solar wind. The module also delves into Mars exploration, featuring past, present, and future Mars missions, and includes an activity comparing images of water-related features on Earth and Mars. It will help people understand that a planet's climate can change over time and how learning more about Mars helps us learn more about Earth and other planets as well. Resources included are: script, SOS playlist and datasets, background and tips for the docent or facilitator, and image comparisons of water-related features on Earth and Mars. (View Less)

This is a lesson about the field of astrobiology, the study of life in the universe, and ice as a preservative for evidence of life. Learners will consider the relationship between ice and life as they investigate the conditions required for life to... (View More) exist and sustain itself. They will study the impact of freezing on microbes and life processes and will learn about extremophiles, organisms that live in extreme conditions. Activities include small group miming, speaking, drawing, and/or writing. This is lesson 8 of 12 in the unit, Exploring Ice in the Solar System. (View Less)