Mars, the Red Planet

Lab Brief #6

🎯 Your mission

Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).

⚡ The twist

Up there, the rules of down here stop working.

What you'll learn

Mars is called the Red Planet because iron oxide (rust) covers its surface. Scientists send rovers to Mars to search for evidence of past water and possible microbial life.

Key words

inner planets
The four rocky planets closest to the sun.
outer planets
The four big planets farthest from the Sun beyond the asteroid belt.

Make a hypothesis first

Predict: what would happen on the moon vs. on Earth?

Say your guess out loud — then find out if you were right.

Get ready

🧰 What you need

ball (Earth)
small ball (moon)

⚠️ Safety first

Have an adult check your set-up before you start, and tidy everything away afterwards.

Step 1 of 4 · Read

Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.

Step 2 of 4 · Do

Build a scale model of the inner solar system using different-sized balls. Research the relative sizes and distances of the planets.

Step 3 of 4 · Observe

Observe what happens and describe it in detail.

Step 4 of 4 · Record

Record your observations in your science journal with measurements and descriptions.

Question 1 of 3

Which planet is known as the Red Planet?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 2 of 3

Which planet has the most visible rings?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 3 of 3

How many planets are in our solar system?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Mind = blown

🌟 The light from the closest star (after the sun) takes 4 years to reach you.

Nice work!

You got 0 of 3 right.

Next: Ocean Tides and the Moon All lessons

🎯

Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

✨ More to explore

🌍 Where you see this in real life: Every sunrise and every shadow is this idea in action.

🏆 Stretch challenge (try it this week): Look at the moon tonight. Notice its shape. Look again in 3 days.

👨‍👩‍👧 For the dinner table: “If you could visit any planet, which would you pick and why?”

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