McAuliffe Center Teacher Resources
Expedition Mars brings science to life, giving students the exciting opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom to a real life scenario in our state-of-the-art simulated learning environment.
Through both project and problem-based learning, students taking part in the mission have to complete tasks to ensure success. At the same time, they may encounter emergencies or unexpected problems that require critical thinking and decision-making skills to find resolutions. Each student plays a part in the mission, interacts with at least one physical hands-on lab, and is responsible for finishing several tasks. Teamwork is crucial because if one member of the class fails to complete his or her job, the entire mission may be at risk.
Fast forward to a future solar max – a time when the greatest solar activity in the 11 year solar cycle of the sun takes place. A major coronal mass ejection (CME) occurred just four weeks ago, with a burst of solar winds blasting from the sun toward Earth. The threat caused an immediate evacuation of the Space Station to ensure the safety of our astronauts in low Earth orbit. Fortunately, the Space Station was unharmed, but some satellites were not as lucky. The strength of the CME was so strong that several vital satellites, responsible for collecting Earth science information, suffered critical damage.
Earth Odyssey brings Earth Science to life, giving students the exciting opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom to a real life scenario in our state-of-the-art simulated learning environment.
Before the mission begins, educators have access to a teacher guide developed to give students an understanding of topics covered in the mission. Lesson plans and activities are outlined to correspond with four key areas – The Importance of the Sun, The Earth’s Atmosphere and Carbon Dioxide, The Water Cycle, and Remote Sensing Communications.