Lesson Plan

School:

Year Group: year 10

Date:

Focus Area: the focus area will be to look at the

possibility of colonising Mars.

Learning Intentions

Victorian curriculum

The students will be involved in the process of

looking at all the factors involved in determining
whether the colonisation of mars is possible in the
near future. They will look at different space
missions that have been sent to Mars. They will
also familiarise themselves with Nasa, Be a
martian

The Universe contains features including galaxies, stars

and solar systems; the Big Bang theory can be used to
explain the origin of the Universe (VCSSU129)
Construct and use a range of representations, including
graphs, keys, models and formulas, to record and
summarise data from students own investigations and
secondary sources, to represent qualitative and
quantitative patterns or relationships, and distinguish
between discrete and continuous data (VCSIS137)

Location / Setting

Organisation / Student Groups

The setting of the class will be kept the same. The

students will stay in the classroom and will be required
to work in pairs or in groups to accomplish the
assessment tasks.

The students will be given a worksheet and will be

required to finish it by the end class. They will be
required to work in pairs or in groups for this task.
Concerning the use of the application Nasa Be a
martian, they would be required to work
individually.

Lesson Plan Template

Special Considerations

The use of ICT tools is likely to enhance the constructivist

learning of the students. The current trend in e-Learning is
to provide cognitive tools, which can be adapted for
intellectual partnerships among teachers and students
and facilitate critical thinking and higher-order thinking and
learning.

Key Vocabulary

Focus Questions

spacecraft propulsion, soil composition, surface

gravity, temperature, magnetic field, atmosphere,
atmospheric pressure, atmospherical
composition, radiation, interplanetary spaceflight,
landing on Mars, storage facilities, food
production, radio communication, solar power

Why we should find a way to live on Mars?

What are the specificities of Mars?
What are the similarities and differences
between Mars and Earth?
What would be the transportation to Mars?
What would be the communications between
Mars and Earth?
What were the robotic missions to Mars
before human colonization?
What equipment are needed for
colonization?
What are the possible locations for
settlements?

Lesson Plan Template

References / Sources / Materials /

Resources and Equipment

Nasa Be a martian application

Powerpoint presentation based on information
collected from the different official websites
Worksheet about the possibility of colonising mars

INTRODUCTION
Establishing prior knowledge. Tuning in activity.
Focus questioning

MAIN BODY
Guiding Inquiry and Practise

Assessment criteria: Assessment FOR learning

Assessment Criteria: Assessment AS Learning

CONCLUSION
Sharing, Explaining and Reviewing Inquiry
Share time. Student reflection. What do they now
know?
Assessment Criteria: Assessment OF Learning

The students will be asked a series of

questions to determine whether they have
some knowledge about Mars
Each student will be given five minutes to
think about the space missions to mars.
They will have to come up with reasons
about why space exploration is important
and why mars is the next milestone in
space exploration.

The students will be given the task of

looking for the differences in terms of
conditions between earth and mars.
They will be given instructions to focus
on the atmosphere of both planets, UV
radiation, geology of both planets and
the ways to communicate between the
2 planets.

They will be required to look at the

major differences between earth and
mars. From there, they will have to
determine how life is currently
sustainable and why this might not be
the case in the future. In doing so, the
students will be required to go through
the process of higher order thinking
because they will have to suggest how
conditions on Earth will deteriorate.
This directly links to the crosscurricular priority of the Victorian
curriculum which is sustainability.

The students are going to share their

findings with the whole class. They will
explain how Earth and Mars are
different. This will consist of exchanges
where the students will discuss about
the conditions on Mars.

The students will then be asked to use

the application Nasa Be a martian to
look for all the relevant information
concerning Mars. They will be given 20
minutes to write a 100 words summary
about it.

Lesson Plan Template

While using the application, the

students will be required to determine

On the powerpoint presentation, a series of

questions will be asked to the students to
determine whether they have acquired a basic
knowledge of Mars and about the conditions
present on the planet.

A written assignment of about 1000 word is

expected to be done by them in pairs and this
should allow them to demonstrate the
knowledge that they have acquired. They will
have to mention the limitations that they are
likely to encounter if they want to settle on
mars.
They will also have to mention the process of
terraforming and explain how it can be
achieved.

Lesson Plan Template