Teachable Moment: NASA InSight Lander to Get First Look at 'Heart' of Mars A spacecraft designed to study seismic activity on Mars, or "marsquakes," is scheduled to lift off on a nearly seven-month journey to the Red Planet on May 5, 2018. NASA's InSight Mars lander is designed to get the first in-depth look at the "heart" of Mars: its crust, mantle and core. In other words, it will be the Red Planet's first thorough checkup since it formed 4.5 billion years ago. The launch, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Central California, also marks a first: It will be the first time a spacecraft bound for another planet lifts off from the West Coast. It's a great opportunity to get students excited about the science and math used to launch rockets and explore other planets. In the latest Teachable Moment from NASA/JPL Edu, education specialist Ota Lutz explains how the InSight mission will reveal Mars' inner workings and provide a window into how other rocky planets formed – including Earth! Teachers and parents can also find a collection of lessons and activities to get students exploring Mars like NASA scientists and engineers. Read the Blog   Related Lessons and Resources for Educators Use these standards-aligned lessons and activities to get your students engaged in Mars missions and science. Let's Go to Mars: Calculating Launch Windows (Grades 9-12) - Students use advanced algebra concepts to determine the next opportunity to launch a spacecraft to Mars. Get started Quake Quandary: A 'Pi in the Sky' Math Challenge (Grades 11-12) - In this illustrated math problem, students use the mathematical constant pi to identify the timing and location of a seismic event on Mars, called a "marsquake." Get started Mission to Mars Unit (Grades 3-8) - In this 19-lesson unit, students learn about Mars, design a mission to explore the planet, build and test model spacecraft and components, and engage in scientific exploration. Get started Stomp Rockets (Grades 4-9) - In this video lesson, students learn to design, build and launch paper rockets, calculate how high they fly and improve their designs. Read more

 

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