The Martin Day 6

The Martian Day 6

By Candy Favorite

Day 6: Rover Travel and Distance

Focus: Coordinate plane, midpoints, and modeling location
Objective: Use the coordinate plane to plot Watney’s habitat, the Ares 4 site, and a NASA supply drop location, calculate midpoints to optimize navigation, and model an efficient travel path to collect supplies en route to Ares 4.
Scenario: NASA sends a supply drop to Mars to aid Watney’s survival, but it lands off-course. Watney must plot locations and determine an optimal path to retrieve the supplies while traveling 3200 km to the Ares 4 site within 400 sols.
Math Skill: Apply coordinate geometry, including plotting points and calculating midpoints, to model navigation (CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSG.GPE.B.6, CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSA.REI.D.10).

Midpoint Formula and Coordinate Plane Basics

“If your habitat is at (0, 0) and a supply drop lands at (4, 6), what is the midpoint of the path between them?”

​“If your habitat is at (0, 0) and a supply drop lands at (4, 6), what is the midpoint of the path between them?”

How can we use the points and the grid to calculate the midpoint or the point equal distance from the habitat to the supply drop?

You learned this in 8th grade and it will get built on in 10th grade.

​“If your habitat is at (0, 0) and a supply drop lands at (4, 6), what is the midpoint of the path between them?”

How can we use the points and the line segment to calculate the midpoint or the point equal distance from the habitat to the supply drop?

You learned this in 8th grade and it will get built on in 10th grade.

Multiple Choice

Who is the one who told the crew about the new idea to go back save Watney?

• Rich Pernell

• Melissa Lewis

• Mark Watney

• Venkat Kapoor

Open Ended

How might the story be different if there were actual Martians around?

Open Ended

Do you think Mark's experiences will affect future space missions?

Open Ended

Could Mark have survived without the help of NASA?

Open Ended

What do you think the future will hold for Martinez?

Open Ended

Do you think events will change the relationship between the American and Chinese space agencies.