The document provides step-by-step instructions for calculating the average orbital velocity of Earth around the Sun. It states that Earth travels around the Sun in an elliptical orbit at an average distance of 584 million miles over 365 days. Plugging these numbers into the formula for average speed (distance/time), it is calculated that Earth travels at a rate of 1.6 million miles per day or 67,000 miles per hour. The document also provides an example calculation for the average orbital velocity of Mars, which is found to be about 54,000 miles per hour.

2. Explain 1: How to Calculate the Average Orbital Velocity for Earth (how fast?) Step 1: Write down the formula Speed = Distance/ Time (S=D/T) Step 2: Plug in any known variables Do we know any? Yes! S: Time = 365 days T: S = D/ 365 days (we'll convert to hours later) Step 3: Take out overhead of Solar System from Engage 1 and re-illustrate Earth's basically circular orbit around the Sun. Write on overhead “Average Orbital Distance is about 584 million miles”. Plug in Distance: S = 584 million miles/ 365 days Step 4: Plug the numbers in calculator. What is the answer? S: 1.6 million miles a day Step 5: Let's convert to miles per hour. (use easier numbers first) T: (illustrate on overhead) If the Earth traveled 240 miles in one day around the Sun, it would look like this. (draw a small portion of the orbit around the Sun) We need to divide this amount of distance up into 24 hour segments. Just divide 240 miles by 24 hours. What's the answer? S: 10 miles per hour Step 6: Let's use the real numbers now. (illustrate on overhead - or have a student draw it!) Divide 1.6 by 24 = .067 million miles per hour Step 7: Let’s get rid of the decimal! Answer? (100, 1000, 10,000 mph? more?)

3. 67,000 mph!

4. Elaborate 1: Calculate Average Orbital Velocity of Mars Students calculate Average Orbital Velocity of Mars on their own following Steps 1-7 on the overhead Students are provided with the average distance Mars travels in its orbit around the Sun, (900 million miles/year) Time: 687 Earth days for one orbit around Sun Answer: about 1.3 million miles/day or 54,000 mph

5. Evaluate 1: How much faster is the Earth orbiting the Sun than Mars? S: 13,000 mph T: How could this make it difficult for NASA to conduct missions to Mars?

6. Day 2 & 3: Build up to final Assessment on Day4 (Develop “New” Roving Mars Mission) Engage 2: List at least 3 questions you would like to explore before we send humans to Mars ( Create a list on board) Possibility of life - Resources Liquid Water - Climate/Atmosphere Geology

7. Explore 2: Explore Past and Current Missions to Mars - Jigsaw with Teams Explain 2: Teacher Describes Main types of Instrumentation Used in past missions to Mars ( handout “Mars Exploration” - Instrumentation)

8. Mars:(2004) Spirit/Opportunity Instruments

9. Spectrometer

10. Microscopic Imager: “ Blueberries” have been found throughout Opportunity's Mission . They are thought to be hematite concretions formed when minerals are precipitated from groundwater. The presence of “blueberries” to support the idea that this rock outcrop was once soaked in liquid water.

11. Explore 3: Where do we find water (H20) on Earth? How does it behave? Elaborate 3: How Water Behaves on Mars Explore 5: Landforms on Mars - (goal? Choose landing site for new mission)

12. Explore 5: Martian Landforms Transparency Exercise Students are asked to hypothesize about how each of the landforms were created. They should write their answers on a sheet of paper. Connections should be made with what they already know about Earth and Lunar geology.

13. Explain 5: Martian Landforms Teacher introduces formal terms: volcanism (volcanic features are not common - there are less than 20 named volcanoes on Mars, and only 5 of these are giant shields), lake beds, fractures, polygonal ground, river beds, tectonics, canyons, erosion, cratering, lava flows, calderas, channels, freeze/thaw Quick Assessment: Students make a chart with five categories 1. Erosion (#1, #5) 2. Tectonics (#2) 3. Volcanism (#2, #7, #8) 4. Cratering (#1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7) 5. Possible evidence of water (#1, #3, #4, #6) Students are re-shown each Martian landform. They should write down the name or type of each landform and its corresponding number in the category that best describes how it was formed.

15. Volcanic Rocks Spirit on “Lorre Ridge”

17. Where to Land? http://marsrovers.nasa.gov/gallery/video/opportunity01.html#Dust Try to survive the landing! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLaMoNb6le0 Rover can only venture about 1 km from the lander

18. Explore 6: Communication Students explore concept of radio waves on Earth and in Space (satellite delay) How fast is the speed of light? How long did it take to send a message to the Moon? Communicating with Rovers – challenges How long does it take to send make a “long distance call” to Spirit or Opportunity? (Answer?)

19. Roving Mars Assessment Create a Mission Plan to send a “New” Rover to Mars a. Select Mission Objectives: what are the goals of your mission? (evidence of water, minerals, resources) b. Choose an Appropriate Landing Site (explain): c. Design a “test course” below that resembles a possible landing site for your rover. What materials could we use from this classroom to test our Rover? d. Discuss communications (how would you account for the delay?) e. Choose instrumentation, but be careful of too much added weight! (you can take along anything used previously, but you must also take along at least one new instrument - think about why you chose this site!) *draw a quick sketch of your new instrument (s) and describe what it will be used for. f. Plan for expected and unexpected terrain and weather, and also contingencies for breakdowns, etc (mechanical problems).