Mars north polar ice stratigraphy project : a curriculum module for 5th grade

This report is explores the need for a curriculum module for late elementary school students by looking at what drives student interests and motivations in pursuing careers in the sciences. The curriculum module created is composed of visual aids, including video animations, a 3-D scale model, and a hands-on, guided classroom activity. Exploring the stratigraphy on Mars Planum Boreum northern polar ice cap using radargrams from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and modeling sublimation of Carbon Dioxide with a dry ice experiment, the curriculum module will be tested and improved upon over the next academic year in a 5th grade classroom with intent for submission to NASA for funding and eventual dissemination to the general public. The goal of the project is to add new, engaging dimensions to space science activities and to understanding of fundamental geologic principles, using real-time applications to foster interest and motivate students to enter the fields of the geosciences in the future.