Imagine it’s the year 2076., and you are part of a mission to Mars. A greenhouse, a geological base, and a research habitat already exist on the planet. Your spacecraft makes regular trips from Earth with equipment and scientists. However, something goes wrong. Alarms sound and problems arise aboard the spacecraft. You need to think fast in order to save the structures on Mars, but more importantly, your life and the lives of your crew.
That’s the scenario fifth graders will face on their upcoming Expedition Mars field trip. The space simulation takes place at the Buehler Challenger and Science Center in Paramus, New Jersey, later this month.
“I am very excited for the field trip because I’m very interested in space and astronomy,” said Emanuel Fang, a fifth grader from Patrick M. Villano School.
Fifth graders are preparing for this simulation by researching different jobs in mission control and aboard the spacecrtaft itself. Each student will be assigned a job related to the mission, and when problems arise, students must use teamwork and problem-solving skills to complete the mission successfully.
“The job I really want is the geology job,” Fang said. “I really want that job because I’m interested in things like nature and ores, and I want to learn about different types of rocks and minerals.”
Geology is the study of rocks and minerals. It’s one of nine different student jobs in the simulation. Others incluode biology, navigation, and medical. Each job plays an important role in the mission. Before the trip, students ranked the jobs they wanted most and took a space vocabulary quiz.
“The job I want is the communication job because I’m really good at communicating with people,” said Riya Shah, a fifth grader. “I am excited for the Buehler field trip …”
Expedition Mars gives students the opportunity to practice cooperation and critical-thinking skills while learning about space exploration.
