Introduction:

A new planet has been discovered in another solar system. Scientists are curious about the history of this new planet and whether there are living creatures or once-living creatures on the planet. A rover has sent a sample of the planet back to Earth. You have a sample of the planet you will explore. Did life ever exist on this new planet? How would you know if it did?

In this activity, you’ll get to step into the shoes of a real planetary scientist and explore crustal samples from a “Mystery” planet, and use evidence to determine whether life may have existed on the mystery planet.

Instructions:

1. Make sure you wear your gloves and eye protection before you begin this activity.

2. Take a close look at the sample in the bag and begin to think about what sorts of things you’re already noticing. Observation is a powerful tool that scientists and engineers use each day.

3. Carefully, pour the contents of the bag on the paper plate.

4. Continue to make observations - what do you see, hear and smell. Remember: When scientists smell things, they use the wafting technique. Don’t put your nose close to the sample. Instead, cup your hand above the plate and waft the air toward your face.

5. Record your observations in your notebook.

6. Begin sorting the materials onto the classification sheet on the next page. You can organize the substances found in the bag in any way you’d like. For example, students might organize the materials by size, color, shape, type, etc.

7. Be sure to label the different classifications on your sheet. What sorts of things can be found in each of your circles?

This is exactly what scientists do. They collect and group information in a way that allows them to draw conclusions!

8. Based on your findings, do you believe there is life on this planet? Why? What sorts of evidence do you have that supports your conclusion? Scientists use evidence to support a scientific theory or hypothesis. Record your answers in your notebook.

9. Based on what you know, draw a picture of the planet in your notebook. Consider what the environment may have been like, and what types of animals, plants, fungus, or bacteria might have existed.

We all know that rockets are an important vessel for space exploration, but what happens when our explorers land on the surface of the moon or another planet? We’ll need to be able to navigate around quickly and efficiently, and potentially carry heavy materials.

This is where rovers come in handy! Rovers are a kind of carlike spacecraft that NASA uses to explore the surfaces of other worlds! So far, rovers have gone to Mars and the Moon – and one day, they might go even farther.

We hope this camp has been fun and you learned a thing or two about space exploration. We need more bright minds like you to help us explore the universe around us. You, too, could be a scientist who analyzes data collected from missions to space, an engineer who helps create the things that take us there, or an astronaut who bravely ventures beyond our world!

Hopefully many of your questions have been answered about space, and you’ve probably got many more questions! The Tulsa Public Library has many books for kids on the subject. You can also learn more and explore resources at the NASA Kids’ Club.