By Unit/Lessons: Secondary School Example

Curriculum Planning
Session
(48
mins)

What will students know

and be able to do?

What are the main learning

activities?

Have an understanding of
the solar system
Classify planets in 2
categories: gas giants or
telluric.
Explain how life is present
on earth
Explain how oxygen and
water are essential for life
Understand that our
environment continuously
changes and that nothing is
definite.

Discussion about the solar

system so that students can
recall their prior learning.
They will list the factors that
contribute to life on earth (link
to VCSIS134 and VCSIS140
because the students are
expected to rely on their
knowledge to express
questions and hypothesis
about scientific concepts)

The students will be using the

ICT tool application Nasa Be a
Martian that gives a good
insight about the conditions on
Mars. Indeed, it provided the
students with a range of
photos and videos that have
been taken from the Mars
rovers or orbiters. (link to
VCSSU116 and VCSIS139
because the students are likely
to use this online tool to
analyse data present among
the scientific community and

Focus

Introduction
to the solar
system

2-3

Mars as a
possibility for
human
colonisation

Why we should find a way

to live on Mars?
What are the specificities of
Mars?
What are the similarities
and differences between
Mars and Earth?
What would be the
transportation to Mars?
What would be the
communications between
Mars and Earth?

What are the

assessment tasks?

By Unit/Lessons: Secondary School Example

Curriculum Planning
Session
(48
mins)

What will students know

and be able to do?

Focus

What were the robotic

missions to Mars before
human colonization?
What equipment are
needed for colonization?
What are the possible
locations for settlements?

What are the main learning

activities?

What are the

assessment tasks?

are expected to reflect on it)

By Unit/Lessons: Secondary School Example

Feasibility of
transforming
Mars into a
liveable planet

Curriculum Planning
Probing questions
Limitations; Firstly low
gravity- Surface gravity of
1. How could communication
Marks is 38% compared to
between the two planets
Earths. May not be enough
be improved?
to prevent health problems 2. Is fully terraforming Mars
associated with
possible?
3. What would make Mars a
weightlessness. (Muscle
better option for
loss and bone
colonization compared to
demineralization)
the other planets in the
Terraforming Mars entails
solar system?
three major changes; 1.
4. What are the dangers of
Building up atmosphere 2.
colonizing Mars? (these
Keeping it warm and 3,
questions display the
inquiry method used in this
keeping the atmosphere
unit plan to assess the
from being lost into space.
knowledge of the students
Trip to Mars from earth
and to lead them in their
would take 6-7 months in
learning)
space.
No global magnetic field,
ionizing radiation can reach
Martian surface- cause
cancer. Need deflector
shields.

By Unit/Lessons: Secondary School Example

Feasibility of
transforming
Mars into a
liveable planet
(cntd)

Curriculum Planning
NASA and ESA use
communication satellites,
additional orbiters that can
be mounted.
One-way communication
can delay due to speed of
light ranges from 3 mins to
22 minutes.
NASA has reported that
most Mars missions have a
blackout periods due to
the distance and speed of
light years away we are
from Mars.

Topic test on Mars colonisation

(link to VCSSU114 and
VCSIS139 because the
students will use their
knowledge to solve problems
and express their
understanding about the topic
of mars colonisation. )

By Unit/Lessons: Secondary School Example

Curriculum Planning

Mars
exploration

Mention the Mars probe

throughout time
the steps involved in it
from the flyby devices
(Mariner 4) to the
explorative rovers
(Sojourner)
mention the latest rovers:
spirit, opportunity and
curiosity
Mention the different tasks
that they have achieved.
Focus on curiosity and
opportunity which are the
only 2 active rovers on
Mars
Mention the difficulties
encountered by the other
rovers
Mention a list of equipment
that would be required on
Mars

The students will be given a

mathematical task to achieve.
They will be required to
analyse all the previous
successful or unsuccessful
attempts to send objects to
Mars. They will use some basic
knowledge of probability to
determine if the next mission
to Mars is more likely to be
successful or not. (link to
VCSIS138 because the
students will analyse trends
and data)
Feedback from the topic test

By Unit/Lessons: Secondary School Example

Curriculum Planning
inside our solar system, Mars The students will work on their
worksheet.
is the most hospitable planet;

Mars as an
option

8 and 9

Limitations
about Mars and
how to tackle

other than Earth.

Building up gravity is
important since Mars gravity
is 38% of Earths
Warming up the planet must
be done since Mars is much
colder than Earth
Water on Mars must be
constant however Water on
mars may occur transiently
and only under special
conditions.
Mars orbit is more eccentric
than Earths, which can
influence the temperature and
solar variations constantly.
The students will first assess
the limitations from a
mathematical perspective.
They will have to determine if
it is possible to travel to mars.
In doing so, they will be given
a question dealing with fuel
and spacecraft. They will have
to calculate the amount of fuel
that needs to be brought on a
spacecraft to ensure that it
reaches Mars after 8 months.

Summary of the limitations of

the Mars colonisation where
the students will have to
participate

By Unit/Lessons: Secondary School Example

them

Curriculum Planning
After this task, the students
will focus on the theoretical
limitations like:
Unfortunately, Mars
atmospheric pressure is below
what people can survive
without pressure suits.
Communication can only be
one way due to the distance
between Earth and Mars.
Telephone conversations are
impractical due to the long lag
times and NASA has found
that direct communication can
be blocked once the sun is in
between Earth and Mars which
can last for 2 weeks.
Satellite can help solve the
problem of blackouts
Terraforming of Mars- process
of which the deliberate
change in climate and
environment for the
colonization of Mars (Makes it
more safe and sustainable).
Future growth and demand
for resources require human
colonization other than earth
such as Mars or the moon.
Doomsday scare- global
warming and the negative
7

By Unit/Lessons: Secondary School Example

Curriculum Planning
impacts could render earth too
harsh to sustain life.

10

Similarities
between Mars
and Earth

Mars and Earth share

similar environment: such
as thicker atmosphere and
abundant water, similar
foundations and proximitymaking it the most
plausible terraforming
targets.
Martian day is close to
Earths as a solar day is
approximately 24 hours.
Mars has half the radius of
Earth but a lower density.
Mars has a similar axial tilt,
thus they have seasons
just like Earth.

Discussion in the class about

the assignment

By Unit/Lessons: Secondary School Example

11 and
12

Excursion at
VSSEC in
Strathmore

Curriculum Planning
Have an insight of the
different tasks that need to
be achieved to send a crew
of astronauts to Mars
Discover how several
factors need to be
considered to successfully
achieve sending a crew to
Mars
This excursion represents
the link to the community.
Indeed, the students will be
able to receive valuable
information from
professionals in the
industry of space
exploration. The students
will hence be more likely to
use these pieces of
information to write their
assignment

The students will be required a

600 words assignment about
the possibility of colonising
Mars.
(link to VCSSU114, VCSIS134
and VCSIS140 because the
students will be expected to
used their own reasoning and
understanding of scientific
concepts to express their
knowledge)
This task is the ultimate in this
inquiry unit because the
students will rely on the
knowledge that they have
acquired and scientific
concepts to determine the
possibility of colonising mars
in the near future. They will
also consider the
mathematical aspect of this
question by estimating how
the trip to Mars relies on
several factors such as fuel
and food.

By Unit/Lesson: Example Worksheet Energy Types

Curriculum Planning

10