unit overview:

What’s in This Unit? (Excerpt from Amplify Science)

"For thousands of years, people have looked up into the night sky and wondered if we are alone in the universe. As scientists seek the answer to the question, they first look at Earth to examine the conditions that make it a place where living things can survive. Through studying Earth, criteria for habitability have been established. Two important requirements are liquid water and an energy source (such as the sun). When scientists search for evidence of habitability on other planets, they look for these things. In their role as student planetary geologists working to investigate the planet Mars, students will search for evidence of past liquid water on the surface, a necessary indicator of habitability. Students will observe satellite images and Mars rover data as they consider what may have formed a long channel on the surface of Mars, the anchor phenomenon for the unit. Throughout the unit, students consider two possible claims for what may have formed the channel—flowing lava or flowing water. By comparing the channel on Mars to analogous structures on Earth’s surface and in physical models, students are able to gather evidence and evaluate whether it supports the claim that flowing liquid water formed the channel. At the conclusion of the unit, students construct arguments for the claim they think is best supported by the evidence."