Grade Levels:
1st-5th

Standards:

Synopsis

What would you bring on a trip to Mars? That’s a question Sheyna Gifford had to ask herself when she packed to live on Mars for a year. Wait, what?! We find out about a NASA experiment on top of a volcano that’s getting astronauts prepared for a real-life mission to Mars.

Activity: Fill in the Blanks

According to Sheyna Gifford, who spent a year in a Mars simulation, you would need some __________, some shoes, and some toiletries to live on Mars.

Simulated Mars looks very __________ to the actual planet Mars.
Mars does not have enough __________ to breathe.

The astronauts dealt with many challenges of living on Mars - isolation, limited food supplies, _________________, and some things you wouldn’t expect.

Mars has a tilt, just like Earth, so it has ____________.

Sim Mars is located on a _________________, because it is very similar to the environment on Mars.

Sheyna and the other astronauts were monitored with ______________ and body movement trackers when they were on simulated Mars.

NASA has done four Mars simulations, because they’re trying to establish the _____________ of human behavior in these simulations.

Activity: Short Answer Questions

  1. If you were spending a year on Mars, what are some reasons why it would be difficult to explore outside?
  2. The moon is closer to the Earth than Mars. Why don't humans settle on the moon instead of Mars?
  3. What are some of the things crew members get to do for fun while on Mars?

Reflection Questions

  1. If you were to spend a year on Mars and you could bring only one thing, what would it be and why?
  2. If you were an astronaut like Dr. Sheyna Gifford and you had the chance to actually go to Mars, what do you think your life would be like?
    What would you do in your free time? What sites would you see?

Draw a picture of your home on Mars:

 
 
 
 
 
 

  1. What other sorts of experiments do you think NASA needs to do to be able to send people to Mars? What else do you think they need to know?

Answer Key:

  1. According to Sheyna Gifford, who spent a year in a Mars simulation, you would need some __________, some shoes, and some toiletries to live on Mars. (clothes)
  2. Simulated Mars looks very __________ to the actual planet Mars. (similar)
  3. Mars does not have enough __________ to breathe. (oxygen)
  4. The astronauts dealt with many challenges of living on Mars - isolation, limited food supplies, _________________, and some things you wouldn’t expect. (spacesuits)
  5. Mars has a tilt, just like Earth, so it has  ____________. (seasons)
  6. Simulated Mars is located on a _________________, because it is very similar to the environment on Mars. (volcano)
  7. Sheyna and the other astronauts were monitored with ______________ and body movement trackers when they were on simulated Mars. (cameras)
  8. NASA has done four Mars simulations, because they want to see the _____________ of human behavior in these simulations. (patterns)

Short Answer Questions:

  1. If you were spending a year on Mars, what are some reasons why it would be difficult to explore outside?

There are many reasons why exploring Mars is difficult. There isn’t enough oxygen to breathe outside in Mars, so astronauts need special equipment to help them breathe. Mars is full of radiation, which is bad for human health. The weather conditions are extreme.

  1. The moon is closer to the Earth than Mars. Why don't humans settle on the moon instead of Mars?

There are many problems with the moon. There is not a lot of good radiation shielding and not a lot of gravity. There is only one-sixth gravity so things can bounce up really high, but this may not be a great place for humans to live long term. The lack of gravity is bad for our bones and muscles.


  1. What are some of the things crew members get to do for fun while on Mars?

Crew members can read, write, and play games--as well as explore. Dr. Gifford would play, go on long walks, or take photographs on Sim Mars.