Mayday on Mars

Duration: Five 50-minute sessions

Grade Levels: 4-8

Use line plots to compare the trajectories of balloon-powered Mars vehicles.
Resources

Lesson Plan PDF

Grade Levels: 4-8

Duration: Five 50-minute sessions

Objectives:

  • Build and test a device which uses stored energy in a balloon to reach a specified target.
  • Construct a line plot (dot plot) displaying a data set of measurements in fractions of a unit.
  • Look for recognizable patterns between test trials, as well as between groups.
  • Compare and contrast data sets from multiple groups in order to identify similarities and differences.

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