Lesson 14 of 84 · Space
Experiment⭐ 30 XP🚀 StarbaseExploring Mars
Exploring Mars.
🎯 Your mission
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
⚡ The twist
Gravity is invisible — but it shapes everything.
Mind = Blown
🌟 The light from the closest star (after the sun) takes 4 years to reach you.
Make a hypothesis first
Before you check: which is closer?
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
- gravity
- light-year
Materials Needed
- compass
- black paper
- foil
- scissors
- flashlight
Safety First
- Wash hands after handling materials.
- Be careful with scissors — ask an adult for help if needed.
- Do not look directly at the sun or bright lights.
Steps
Review the background information on Space before starting.
Time how long it takes for a shadow to move 10 cm. Use this to calculate how fast Earth is rotating.
Note any unexpected results and think about why they happened.
Share your findings with the class or a partner and discuss what you learned.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3How long does it take Earth to orbit the sun?
Where you see this in real life
GPS, weather forecasts, and the seasons all rely on this.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Find a constellation in the sky. Look it up. Tell someone its story.
For the dinner table
“If you could visit any planet, which would you pick and why?”
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
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Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
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