Thomas W. Becker, Chair
Mars Society Education Task Force
207-4 Enchanted Parkway
Manchester, MO 63021
tombecker@primary.net

Introduction

While there is no "right or wrong" way to teach Mars in the classroom, still there are some major priorities teachers must keep in mind at the outset. Some logical starting places and continuations relate well to each other and establish a smooth flow of subject matter not only progressing through the grades but progressing through a year. The author speaks from extensive experience over forty years teaching space technology education in America and Europe, including students from about 4th grade through university as well as directing innumerable teacher training seminars. As Chair of the Education Task Force, he was responsible for developing the final draft of the Mars Society Curriculum Guide "Education For A New World" and for its submission to the Society for review and comment. This essay is based on the American public school normal education system and does not apply to Special Needs or Gifted categories. First school contact in America is Kindergarten at age 5, continuing up through grade 12 at about age 17. Teachers in other countries may need to adjust their thinking according to their own country's education system.

Subject Matter By Age-Level Progression

Teaching Mars subject matter follows a logical progression from about the 1st grade through upper high school (12th grade), adding or reinforcing content when it is appropriate for students' age level or personal need. In the progression, it is important to be mindful of learning readiness not only as it applies to subject matter but to readiness by age. Teaching Mars at the university level is a combination of much different factors, which also will be discussed here.

The charts in Figures 1 through 4 are as reasonable an attempt as any to provide a Guide from grade 1 through grade 12. The chart closely follows the Mars Society Curriculum Guide cited above. Obviously an elementary level student cannot be expected to learn the same material as a high school student. For this reason, the Guide is necessary as an organizational rather than a required tool. The Guide also relies on a building effect where subject matter at a particular level builds on and expands subjects from the preceding level. The building effect breaks down, of course, when a student moves from one state to another and encounters subject matter at a different level. The breakdown can be prevented, however, if Mars Society teachers try to follow the Guide.

Figure 1: Mars Society K-6 Recommended Elementary Curriculum
Grade	Age	Age-Appropriate Mars Education Subject Matter
K-1	5/6	Solar System elements, identify Earth as a ball, identify Mars and its distance from Earth/Sun, requirements for human life, space travel, name the planets, compare Earth and Mars, survival in a spaceship
2	7	Mars mythology, ("War Of The Worlds"), identify overall Mars landscape, major features (craters, volcanoes, canyons, valleys, poles), Mars place geography of major features, impact cratering
3	8	Basic Mars geology, major missions to Mars including photos, describe ancient Mars based on geological clues, explain Mars seasons, Schiaparelli and Lowell "canals"
4	9	Colonization factors, hostile factors, comets/meteors/asteroids, discuss Plymouth and Jamestown, Mars factors that encourage colonization, discuss landing site, discuss atmospherics/geologies hostile to human life, Greenhouse Effect on Earth/Venus, study maps of Mars for colonization sites/survival
5	10	Discuss early human colonization conditions (domes, inflatables, crater interiors, living in valleys), communication and transportation on Mars, discuss work such as farming and mining and manufacturing, terraforming, roles of law, religion, creative arts, etc.
6	11	Colony work careers, Arctic Research Station project, aspects of permanent human presence on Mars with commitments, role of The Mars Society, kinds of sciences and technologies on Mars, development of culture on Mars

Objectives:

Describe Mars as a unique planet and possible future home; Learn how humans will explore and settle on Mars with colonies; Instill in young people a vision of being pioneers to Mars.

The K-6 curriculum is designed to provide a broad-brush basic introduction to Mars and its relationship to Earth and the Solar System, as well as a gentle exposure to colonial living and working on Mars. Leaving the 6th grade at age 11 or so, for example, a young person should be able to equate Frederick Jackson Turner's thesis with Mars as a frontier for exploration and colonization.

At this level, students' motor skills, fine motor skills, coordination and social awareness are developing at a rapid rate but not enough for detailed hands-on activities. At ages 6 and 7, young people are still learning to color "inside the lines", for example. Students' understanding of object relationships also is growing and blossoming. Planets in the Solar System - major Mars features - Jamestown and a Mars colony, all ask a student to relate objects and events to each other. By 3rd and 4th grades, young people should be gaining a vision of humans going to Mars permanently to live and work in social and scientific research stations and mining sites. The idea of permanency should be easy to comprehend although students won't be able to directly relate to it yet.

Figure 2: Mars Society Grades 7 & 8 Middle School Curriculum
Grade	Age	Age-Appropriate Mars Education Subject Matter
7	12	Repeated model rocket building/launching with standard measurements of launch results, first attempts at blueprint-type drawing, build table-top models of Mars major features or colony structures or Arctic Base, strive to improve student website and word processing computer skills, encourage student reading of space-related literature
8	13	Raise 7th grade skills to the next higher level, improve Mars map reading and locating lesser-known features, build more detailed table-top models of colony structures, bring about closer contact between students and professional scientists, invite scientists to the classroom for dialogue, encourage reading of space literature, improve computer skills

Middle School students, sometimes referred to as Junior High School students, are highly active physically and mentally and need to be challenged on both these levels. Mars studies should incorporate hands-on activities including building, drawing, measuring, modeling, visiting, talking, and expressing their relationship to their environment and to others. This also is an excellent time to develop thinking skills, either reality thinking or fantasy thinking (science fiction).

Amid all the physical activity, which includes an awakening to the opposite sex, students at this age will, if encouraged properly, become intensely interested in space-related literature. It is a good time to introduce Arthur Clarke, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells - more the classical fictionists rather than just pure fictionists. This is a good time to send students to the library.

Middle School boys are more apt to achieve on an individual basis; girls seem to do well working in groups; mixed sexes may invite boy-girl problems. However, this is an excellent time to introduce building projects in small groups: model rockets, table-top models of Mars features or structures that might be built in a Mars colony. It is important to stick to reality as much as possible, although the imaginations of middle-schoolers also is quite active and their ideas may be surprising. Also, this age child can be very emotional or even obsessed with an idea or with another person.

Science-related and Mars-related movies and VCR tapes can be used quite effectively if introduced properly and good class discipline is maintained. Classic science fiction films such as From The Earth To The Moon, The Time Machine, War Of The Worlds, Forbidden Planet, 2001, 2010, Apollo 13 and Marooned In Space all serve to make students think and imagine. The Star Trek and Star Wars films are good idea-starters and portray science/technology as it might be someday.

Figure 3: Mars Society Grades 9-12 Recommended High School Curriculum (Grade 9 In Some States Is Grouped With Middle School) High School Mars Education is a close-in touch with reality thinking and activities. UK Sixth Form students may benefit from curriculum in American grades 11 & 12.
Grade	Age	Age-Appropriate Mars Education Subject Matter
9	14	The reality of Mars, hostile environments in space and on the Martian surface, self-made inclusive Mars maps, physical conditions on Mars in more detail, classic astronomy of Kepler-Newton-Huygens-Brahe, introduction of theoretical concepts, familiarity with telescope viewing
10	15	Emphasize individual skills building activities, local telescopes for group and individual project work, personal contact with scientists and their work, small group Mars data assembly projects, heavy emphasis on remote sensing technologies, study of scientific films: Pathfinder: Made For Mars, Mars Past-Present-Future, VCR tapes from science laboratories, use of computer to assemble facts and numerical data with word processing activities, continued study in depth of major and minor Mars features
11	16	Space-related websites for tutorials and monitoring events, fine tune drawing and writing skills by research activities and submitted science papers, develop verbal skills by stand-up class presentations, analysis and/or critique of professional articles in Science, Icarus, etc., career investigation in physical and social sciences, monitor Mars Arctic Base
12	17	Off campus research, original written research paper using computer word and drawing programs, internship at a local science company or observatory to study methods and instruments, personal original photography (35mm reflex) as part of research activities, close contact with science professionals, study professional science journal articles, study books and ideas about space colonization.

Upper High School is a time of growing freedom and growing needs to attempt new things at higher intellectual and physical levels. As the student moves through these upper grades, he/she always is comparing personal performance with others the same age. If there has been a good developmental foundation, the student will realize the wisdom of learning what needs to be learned and meeting obvious challenges. It is necessary to continue offering challenges to stretch students' abilities. This is a fortunate opportunity to work with Mars curriculum.

The teacher of these grades becomes more of an advisor and director of students' work assignments and is in excellent position to initiate challenges. Because students are more mobile (some have their own cars), they are able more frequently to act independently and take advantage of opportunities off the campus. Boy/girl relationships are still very evident but usually are on a more mature level; class friendships may take a prominent role. Students may have part-time jobs or be more active in school sports. As students approach university age and prepare for careers, they should be required to do mature schoolwork and constantly be challenged to make their own decisions. All these factors need to be taken into consideration when making assignments.

Carefully prepared research papers typed and illustrated on the computer should be common occurrences. Certainly at least two research papers should be expected for each semester. Students need to have the experience of working with scientific instruments and getting good results. This can be done in the high school setting or off campus.

Not all high school graduates will go on to university, but those students will have to conform to the schedule of topics nonetheless. It is important to build a general population receptive to the idea of Mars colonization and permanent human presence, and to act as an infrastructure for future Mars activities and missions.

Equipment Requirements

Throughout the public school experience, from 1st to 12th grades, it is important for teachers to have continuous access to the normal slide and overhead projectors. Other special equipment includes color computer printers, a large light table, 35mm reflex camera, camcorder, presentation size notepads and easel, considerable chalkboard space, audio tape cassette players/recorders, VCR-capable color television, and a Global Positioning System receiver.

Beyond these, a small budget will be needed (or firm agreement with administrators to draw on the school budget) for the purchase of timely objects such as new CD-ROMs, slide sets, VCR tapes and special picture/poster sets. While some of these objects sometimes are available free of charge from space agencies, the growing practice rather is for space agencies and space intensive industries to offer them for sale.

There is considerable controversy today about classroom access to the Internet. While there are always pros and cons about the subject, the overall feeling in America is that Internet access is necessary for the kinds of work and study being done beyond Grade 6.

Mars studies require a computer with access to the large number of space-related websites that exist at present. The forecast is for the number of websites to increase at a rapid rate. Also, it is important for students to be able to communicate with or obtain information from international sources. At times, it also might be necessary for students to conduct Email conversation, even on a global basis. In the final analysis, the decision "to internet or not to internet" most likely will be made by upper level administrators or even Boards of Education if parents get involved in the process.

Figure 4: Mars Society Undergraduate University Recommended Curriculum Subject Oriented Leading To Possible Mars Studies Degree Students must also fulfill normal university graduation requirements.
Grade	Age	Age-Appropriate Mars Education Subject Matter
13 1st Yr.	18	Freshman University: emphasize geology, geography, technologies of spacecraft missions, and human concepts of Mars; Mars And The Human Mind: an historical review of public and professional perceptions, Exobiology: ancient life on Mars, early Martian environment, case studies in Martian landscapes, choice of independent research topics, formation of the Solar System with emphasis on inner planets, the moons of Mars
14 2nd Yr.	19	Sophomore University: emphasize recent and present technologies and results of spacecraft missions - atmospherics, climatology, topography;Missions to Mars - Pathfinder, Global Surveyor, Climate Surveyor, Polar Lander/Probes/Microphone, Nozomi, Mars Express, Russian attempts; meteorology and climatology (atmospherics), comprehensive studies of topography and geology (comparative environment studies), Mars-related International Space Station experiments
15 3rd Yr.	20	Junior University: emphasize technologies for colonization and Mars planetary settlement mixed with physics and independent research; major theories of life in the universe (not UFO or SETI) with related discoveries;analysis of sample return missions (specific technologies, findings and changes in theories); in-depth study of the Mars Arctic and Desert Research Stations at Haughton Crater and Utah, including human psychological and physical experiences; long-term habitation experiences in the Arctic and Antarctic; initial human exploratory missions including propulsion methods, spacecraft design, Mars Direct theory, NASA human Mars exploration concepts, studies of landing site choices, human physical and psychological experiences; artificial ecosystems; Martian resources
16 4th Yr.	21	Senior University: emphasize technologies for colonization and Mars planetary settlement mixed with physical sciences and independent research projects; Earth-Mars transportation systems including Mars Cyclers, Skyhooks, Space Elevators, Tethers, glider/robot airplanes, advanced propulsion systems; Mars communication systems; Mars laws and governance, implications of discoveries of fossil or native life, Mars evolving/emerging social structures; terraforming/planetary engineering concepts, study Netherlands polders, study Tennessee Valley Authority system, Direct Terraforming, atmospheric and hydrospheric regeneration; biological/genetic adaptation; ecospheres

An Ideal Design

The University curriculum is a university "emphasis study." Students still pursue their regular courses but also enroll in special classes emphasizing Mars subject matter. The foregoing curriculum is an ideal, and of course currently no university offers such a program. There is, at the same time, considerable versatility in the curriculum. Students can take Mars courses at a standard university offering them, full time at a specialized University Extension type of facility which offers only Mars courses, or the student can attend regular university and also attend an off-campus Mars Studies enrichment program.

Many of the Mars courses can be completed as independent study courses in which the student completes a certain amount of reading to prepare written papers or research assignments. Also students can complete original science research on their own time, using a University or alternative laboratory. The only possible alternative is to enroll in correspondence courses which, at the present time, do not exist.

The best approach to university curriculum is to establish a Mars Studies course at an existing permanent university or community college, use the university facilities, and offer a special Certificate in lieu of a degree. Instructors will have to be hand-picked and course work will have to be approved during the formation period, along with student fees and campus permissions.

There are two difficult aspects to a university curriculum: 1) finding teachers/professors to teach the courses, and 2) finding cooperative universities that will allow students to use their equipment and laboratories. In addition, no teaching materials exist at the present time and will have to be created from scratch, which will take considerable time and will be costly.

Student course work at the university level still needs to be closely monitored; students will have to meet with professors on a schedule for the exchange of ideas, advice and counseling about methodologies, choice of research topics, location of source materials and the like. Obviously there will be start-up costs that should be allowed for from the start.

Mars Education: A Goal To Be Achieved

There is a tendency at the outset for people to look at the Mars Education challenges and possible obstacles with skepticism. Most will see it as a mountain to be climbed rather than a summit to be conquered, but it is all within the realm of the possible.

This author recently completed an Upper High School correspondence course for the University of Missouri's Center For Distance and Independent Learning. Since no text existed, one had to be written and illustrated. Journeys To Mars (the course title) will be produced in two versions; a print version and an electronic version on the World Wide Web. The course carries a half-unit high science credit upon completion. The text, called the Study Guide, is accompanied by a Photo Packet of color illustrations. The course has several Progress Evaluations, a Mid-Term Examination and a Final Examination, and contains at least one student exercise for each Lesson, of which there are nine:

1. Mars And The Human Mind
2. The Mariner 4 Spacecraft
3. Mariners 6 and 7: The Next Step
4. Mariner 9: The Last Mariner
5. Vikings On Mars
6. Blazing A Trail To Mars
7. The World Looks At Mars
8. The Living Landscapes Of Mars
9. Living On Mars

In a sense, the course is based on the findings of Mars missions mounted by NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in particular. With some hard work, both versions of the course will be ready sometime in the year 2000.

Journeys To Mars is one of four completely space-oriented high school correspondence courses offered by the UMCDIS. Aerospace: Crossing The Space Frontier is a history of space exploration beginning with Wernher von Braun at Kummersdorf and Peenemunde and coming right up to the International Space Station and Pathfinder to Mars. The course is produced in both versions, print and web.

Studying Planet Earth: The Satellite Connection is a course about remote sensing and satellites technologies and has individual lessons on such topics as Netherlands Polders, Atlantic Ocean Hurricanes, remote sensing of volcanoes and floods, spy aircraft and satellites, and the new fleet of radar satellites. The course is available now in both versions.

The (fourth) course is Adventures In Space Science and is an additional course about remote sensing and satellites, including lessons about Antarctica, Great African Rift, Exploring The Moon, Hubble Space Telescope, the Martian Landscape, The Planet That Got Knocked On Its Side, and more. This course is currently in production and will be available in both print and web versions.

The Center can be reached by Postal Mail at:

University of Missouri,
Center for Distance and Independent Study
136 Clark Hall
Columbia, MO 65211-4200
Local Phone: (573) 882-2491
Toll Free: 1-800-609-3727
E-mail: cdis@missouri.edu

The courses are a beginning, and certainly other writers will come along in time and write their own courses. The Mars Society needs good educational writers who have the lifelong experience and commitment to American education to offer something of value to the students of tomorrow.