Lesson 1.3: Investigating a Mystery Object on Mars

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Lesson 1.3: Investigating a
Mystery Object on Mars

Geology on Mars

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Warm-Up

5 MIN

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

Activity 1

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Activity 1

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

Investigation Notebook pg 14

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Introduction to
Argumentation

10 MIN

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

Activity 2

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Activity 2

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

Scientists participate in argumentation to find
the best explanation for a question about the
natural world. You began to create an
argument in the Warm-Up. We’ll continue to
participate in scientific argumentation to find
the best answer to the question: “What
geologic process could have formed the
channel on Mars?”

Multiple Choice

What geologic process could have formed the channel on Mars?

• Volcanic Activity

• Wind Erosion

• Glacial Movement

• Water Flow

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Activity 2

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

Skills you use every day can be useful in scientific argumentation.

How do you use argumentation in your daily
lives?

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● begins with a question.

● has a claim that proposes an answer to

the question.

● has evidence that supports the claim.

● clearly explains how the evidence

supports the claim (reasoning).

A scientific argument...

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Activity 2

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

We’ll now return to the
puddle story from the
Warm-Up and use it to
consider how scientists
engage in
argumentation.

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Activity 2

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

Let’s read the evidence.

What do you think
happened to the puddle?

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Jelly Donut Evidence Card
Sort

30 MIN

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

Activity 3

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Activity 3

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

You will now use
evidence to make an
argument about a
mysterious object on
Mars. The evidence
includes NASA images of
the surface of Mars.

Multiple Choice

What is the best way to make an argument about a mysterious object on Mars using evidence?

• Rely solely on personal opinion

• Compare the object to similar features on Earth

• Ignore the NASA images and use unrelated evidence

• Speculate without providing evidence

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Activity 3

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

After making
observations and
gathering information
about the object and the
surface of Mars,
scientists made these
two claims about the
mystery object.

Question: What is the object
that the Opportunity rover
photographed on the
surface of Mars?

Claim 1: The object is a rock that
was moved to that spot.

Claim 2: The object is fungus that
grew in that spot.

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Activity 3

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

You’ll read information on
evidence cards, and then
work in partners to
decide which claim the
information supports.
You’ll place each
evidence card under the
claim it supports.

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Activity 3

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

You’ll sit next to your
partners and put the
Question Card at the top
center of the desk. You’ll
put the two Claim Cards
under the question and
place the evidence cards
under each claim.

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Investigation Notebook pg 15

Activity 3

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

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Activity 3

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

What do you think about
these claims, based on
the first set of evidence?

Which evidence supports
Claim 1? What about
Claim 2?

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Activity 3

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

These cards have new
information that the
instruments on
Opportunity collected
about the object. It might
help you determine which
claim is better supported.

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Activity 3

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

Discuss and sort the new
evidence cards.

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Activity 3

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

Which claim do you think
was best supported by
the available evidence?

Which claim do you feel
most confident about?
Why?

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Activity 3

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

In this activity, you practiced using information
as evidence to support a claim. You also
worked to make your reasoning process clear
to others.

Claim 1 is better supported by the evidence
presented, and it’s also the claim that most
scientists agree with.

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Activity 3

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

Remember, we’ve been investigating this
question:

Investigation Question:
How does our understanding of Earth help us learn about
other rocky planets?

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Activity 3

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

Your job is to figure out
which geologic process
formed the channel on
Mars. You’ve been
engaging in scientific
argumentation and
asking a scientific
question about Mars.

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We looked at evidence
from aerial images of
flowing lava and flowing
water on Earth in the last
lesson. Both flowing
water and flowing lava
change the shape of the
land.

Activity 3

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

Multiple Choice

How do both flowing water and flowing lava change the shape of the land?

• Both create deep valleys through rapid erosion.

• Both deposit new material, building up the land

• Both carve channels and reshape the surface.

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Activity 3

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

There are two possible
claims about the channel
on Mars based on the
similarities between the
landforms on Earth and
the channel on Mars.

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Activity 3

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

To wrap up our discussion about the
two claims, let’s see a show of hands:

Which do you think is
stronger so far, Claim 1
or Claim 2?

Who is unsure?

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Activity 3

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

We need more evidence
to decide which claim is
stronger.

Based on the aerial
images of Earth we’ve
seen, there is support for
both claims.

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Homework

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

Activity 4

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Activity 4

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

For this activity, you will
look at images of
landforms on Earth and
compare them to the
channel on Mars. Then,
you will answer some
questions.

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Activity 4

Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3

Investigation Notebook pgs 16–17

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End of Lesson

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Geology on Mars: Lesson 1.3