Assignment Week 3: Jigsaw Reading Activity

Learners’ background:

This lesson is an 80-minute lesson for learners between the age of 16 - 17 years old. This
lesson is designed for average level of English proficiency. These learners are from the
pure science class who would be interested with planets. They had learned about solar
system and the planets before this lesson.

Pre-reading

1. Show a picture of The Solar System. Get learners to point out which one is
Mars planet.
2. Get students to talk about Mars by completing a table:
What I already know What I do not know What I would like to
about Mars? about Mars? know more about Mars?

3. Each group representative share their discussion.

While-reading

1. Each group will get a text about Mars.

2. Each group is given 5 minutes to read and fill in the Mars Info Sheet given.

MARS INFO SHEET

Mars’ Atmosphere

What is Mars Made of?

What is the temperature of

Mars?

3. Each member is given a number (1 - 3). They form a new group according to the
numbers.
4. They take turns to share their information and complete the Mars Info Sheet.

Post-reading
5. They go back to their main groups and respond to the situation given:

The world is over populated. You need to find a new place to live. Mars is the best planet that you can
think of. Design the house, vehicle and clothing that you would wear in Mars. Refer to the Info Sheet to
create suitable house, vehicle and clothing that would ensure your survival in Mars.

6. Groups are given time to come up with their creations (by drawing the designs)
7. Groups present their creations.
Appendix:

Text 1

Mars' Atmosphere: Composition, Climate & Weather

By Tim Sharp, Reference Editor | August 3, 2012 02:50pm ET

Mars has a thin atmosphere — too thin to easily support life as we know it. The extremely
thin air on Mars can also become very dusty. Giant dust storms can blanket the entire
planet and last for months.

What is Mars' atmosphere made of?

The atmosphere of Mars is about 100 times thinner than Earth's, and it is 95 percent carbon
dioxide. Here's a breakdown of its composition:
Carbon dioxide: 95.32 percent
Nitrogen: 2.7 percent
Argon: 1.6 percent
Oxygen: 0.13 percent
Carbon monoxide: 0.08 percent
Also, minor amounts of: water, nitrogen oxide, neon, hydrogen-deuterium-oxygen, krypton
and xenon

Climate and weather

Mars' thin atmosphere and its greater distance from the sun mean that Mars is much colder
than Earth The average temperature is about minus 80 degrees F (minus 60 degrees C),
although it can vary from minus 195 degrees F (minus 125 degrees C) near the poles
during the winter to as much as a comfortable 70 degrees F (20 degrees C) at midday near
the equator. The atmosphere of Mars is also roughly 100 times thinner than Earth's, but it is
still thick enough to support weather, clouds and winds.

Giant dust devils routinely kick up the oxidized iron dust that covers Mars' surface. The dust
storms of Mars are the largest in the solar system, capable of blanketing the entire planet
and lasting for months. One theory as to why dust storms can grow so big on Mars starts
with airborne dust particles absorbing sunlight, warming the Martian atmosphere in their
vicinity. Warm pockets of air flow toward colder regions, generating winds. Strong winds lift
more dust off the ground, which in turn heats the atmosphere, raising more wind and
kicking up more dust.

At times, it even snows on Mars. The Martian snowflakes, made of carbon dioxide rather
than water, are thought to be about the size of red blood cells. The north and south polar
regions of Mars are capped by ice, much of it made from carbon dioxide, not water.

Source: http://www.space.com/16903-mars-atmosphere-climate-weather.html
Text 2:

What is Mars Made Of? | Composition of Planet Mars

By Tim Sharp, Reference Editor | August 3, 2012 11:13am ET

Mars is the "red planet" for a very good reason: its surface is made of a thick layer of
oxidized iron dust and rocks of the same color. Maybe another name for Mars could be
"Rusty." But the ruddy surface does not tell the whole story of the composition of this world.

Dusty crust
The dust that covers the surface of Mars is fine like talcum powder. Beneath the layer of
dust, the Martian crust consists mostly of volcanic basalt rock. The soil of Mars also holds
nutrients such as sodium, potassium, chloride and magnesium. The crust is about 30 miles
(50 kilometers) thick.
Mars' crust is thought to be one piece. Unlike Earth, the red planet has no tectonic plates
that ride on the mantle to reshape the terrain. Since there is little to no movement in the
crust, molten rock flowed to the surface at the same point for successive eruptions, building
up into the huge volcanoes that dot the Martian surface.

Mantle and core

Evidence suggests there have been no volcanic eruptions for millions of year, however. The
mantle that lies beneath the crust is largely dormant. It is made up primarily of silicon,
oxygen, iron, and magnesium and probably has the consistency of soft rocky paste. It is
probably about 900 to 1,200 miles (5,400 to 7,200 kilometers) thick, scientists say.
The center of Mars likely has a solid core composed of iron, nickel, and sulfur. It is
estimated to be between 1,800 and 2,400 miles (3,000 and 4,000 kilometers) in diameter.
The core does not move, and therefore Mars has no magnetic field. Without a magnetic
field, radiation bombards the planet making it relatively inhospitable compared to Earth.
Any life that ever existed on Mars would have had to cope with the radiation, perhaps by
thriving underground. While astronomers continue to search for past or present signs of
biology on Mars, no convincing evidence has yet been found.

— Tim Sharp, Reference Editor http://www.space.com/16895-what-is-mars-made-of.html

Text 3:

What is the Temperature of Mars?

By Tim Sharp, Reference Editor | August 3, 2012 04:57pm ET

Mars is a harsh, cold world. It is much colder than Earth; but then, it is also farther from the
sun. The small, barren planet also has a thin atmosphere that is 95 percent carbon dioxide.

Extreme differences
Mars's atmosphere is about 100 times thinner than Earth's. Without a "thermal
blanket," Mars can't retain any heat energy. On average, the temperature on Mars is about
minus 80 degrees F (minus 60 degrees C). In winter, near the poles temperatures can get
down to minus 195 degrees F (minus 125 degrees C). A summer day on Mars may get up
to 70 degrees F (20 degrees C) near the equator, but at night the temperature can plummet
to about minus 100 degrees F (minus 73 C). Frost forms on the rocks at night, but as dawn
approaches and the air gets warmer, the frost turns to vapor, and there is 100 percent
humidity until it evaporates.

Seasons on Mars
Like Earth, Mars has four seasons because the planet tilts on its axis. The seasons vary in
length because of Mars' eccentric orbit around the sun. In the northern hemisphere, spring
is the longest season at seven months. Summer and fall are both about six months long.
Winter is only four months long.

During a Martian summer, the polar ice cap, composed mainly of carbon dioxide ice,
shrinks and may disappear altogether. When winter comes, the ice cap grows back. There
may be some liquid water trapped beneath the carbon dioxide ice sheets, scientists say.

— Tim Sharp, Reference Editor http://www.space.com/16907-what-is-the-temperature-of-

mars.html