The Science Behind The Martian
Learning Intention: Explore space science ideas with 'The Martian.'
Success Criteria
TBC - Still working on the success criteria.
Learning Tasks
This section of 'To Infinity and Beyond' will focus on the science idea in The Martian, which has been designed as an EdPuzzle so it will stop at different points to ask class-based discussion question, research-style questions, and write in your notebook style questions.
While students are watching the movie, it helps to have colouring sheets to help keep them off their phones and prevent fidgeting. I highly suggest doing the Collaborate Colouring for Space (see our finished product that now directs the classroom. I'm going to raffle it off at the end of the year for a student to take home) and the Matariki Greeting Cards.
Day 1: Understanding Space Travel and Survival - Start at the beginning of the movie and the class will likely get up to "Movie Research Break: Mark is being sarcastic when he saying "Nothing bad ever happened by lighting hydrogen on fire." Research what event he is referring to. Then, we'll do a small practical to show what happens when you light hydrogen on fire," but won't have time to research it.
Watch at least some of The Solar System to Scale Video
Notes on Space Vocabulary Words (e.g. orbit vs rotation, etc)
Use the gif on the right to explain why timing is very important whenever we're sending things into space.
2. Day 2: How do you make water? - Picked up where the class left off in the last lesson. This lesson, you will probably get up to the point of "Discuss as a class: Who do you think is right, Teddy Sanders (Director of NASA) or Vincent Kapoor (Director of Mars Missions)? How does this relate into the bigger idea that society and government influences scientific progress?" and you will have time to discuss.
Do Now: Finish up the question from last lesson on hydrogen.
Let's make water! Do a hydrogen pop test.
Notes on the chemical reaction between sulfuric acid and magnesium and hydrogen and oxygen.
3. Day 3: The Community of Science. - Pick up where the class last left off in the last lesson. This lesson, you will probably get up to the point of "Discuss as a class: What take away message from this interaction about the bigger community of science" and you will have time to discuss.
Do Now: Why do plants and Mark Watney need water? Look up the photosynthesis equation to help support your answer. (Answer)
"In your notebooks: Double check Mark Watney's calculations. He said the next Mars mission is designed to go to a crater 3,200 km away and the rover can only go 35 km until it needs to be recharged. How many days would this trip take him? If your answer doesn't match his, why do you think that is? " (Answer)
4. Day 4: Surviving Mars - Pick up where the class last left off in the last lesson. This lesson, you will probably get up to "Discuss as a class: Do you agree with Teddy's (Director of NASA) decision? Why or why not?"
Do Now: Pick out one of the Matariki Greeting Cards to colour.
5. Day 5: Caring for others - Pick up where the class left off. Hopefully you will finish the movie in this lesson.
Do Now: Read the 'Some Biologists Find an Urge in Human Nature to Help' from The New York Times (adapted reading level with Brisk). While you are reading, highlight/circle/underline any words you don't know. Then your table group writes all the words they don't know on a piece of paper. Have a chat to see if you can help identify the words you don't know without looking it up. Then hand your list to Ms Garlick, who will help unpacks the words we're still not sure about.
This lesson was used on starting on Tuesday, June 11th, 2024, Term 2 Week 7 until... and latter is when it was last updated.
Teacher Notes
For the first Movie Research Break, when watching the video, make sure to point out that a lot of math is involved to figure out the most efficient time to send things into space to make the distance between objects the shortest. It's actually not recommended to watch the whole The Solar System to Scale video.
Can also use this as a jumping ground to remind them of the Timeline scale.
The best way that I've found doing the hydrogen pop test is actually using a tea candle! Have students use 2M sulfuric acid and react with magnesium in a test tube. Place a boiling tube over it so it collects the hydrogen gas. So long as they don't tip the boiling tube over, the gas won't escape since it's lighter than air. Then, place the boiling tube over the tea candle.
Once they've done that, they can use the boiling tube and collect the gas in a flask for a bigger boom.
Encourage students to use the slow motion video on their phones to see the explosion.
Recommended that the teacher has the lighter or match to come around and light tea candles. The teacher should also be the ones handing out the magnesium. Be generous so it makes a lot of hydrogen gas, but don't just give it out to the students to use because they will go nuts.
Make hydrogen gas and do a pop-test to see how Mark was able to make water.