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Module: The Great Martian Floods & The Pathfinder Landing Site |
Like Earth, Mars has valleys that seem to be caused by a flowing fluid, presumably water. One can see dendritic drainage patterns as well as flood channels on the Martian surface. This module focuses on whether the channels observed on Mars are evidence of great floods and, if so, on how Pathfinder helps scientists to use the debris from such floods to obtain information about four billion years of Martian geologic history. |
Floods Activity 1: What Does Flowing Water Shape a Surface? Purpose: First, students pour water into a sand-filled tray to see what kinds of shapes the flowing water makes. Then, students examine images of the Martian surface to see if there are any features that suggest the presence of flowing water. Key Concepts:
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Floods Activity 2: Can You Make Teardrop Shapes Similar to Those on Mars? Purpose: Students study images of teardrop-shaped landforms on Mars and devise a series of experiments to recreate those shapes as closely as possible. Key Concepts:
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Floods Activity 3: What Is Chaotic Terrain? Purpose: Students create a model to study a unique Martian landform considered an important source of Mars' past surface water. Key Concepts:
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Floods Activity 4: The Scabland Mystery Purpose: First, students study J. Harlen Bretz's work on Earth's greatest flood, the flood that created the Scablands in Washington State. Next, they compare the landforms created by this flood with similar-looking Martian landforms and realize that Mars also experienced tremendous floods in its past. Key Concepts:
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Floods Activity 5: Creating a Large-Scaled Model of Catastrophic Flooding Purpose: Students use a beach or sand-covered driveway to create flood models at a large scale and to see more clearly the features created by an immense flood. Key Concepts:
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Floods Activity 6: What Can Sand Indicate About How and Where Water Flowed? Purpose: Students examine sand samples and realize that sediments can provide information about where they originated and how they were deposited. This awareness helps students understand why Pathfinder landed in a floodplain. Key Concepts:
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Floods Activity 7: Were There Catastrophic Floods on Mars? Purpose: Students apply what they learned earlier in the module about flooding and consider whether the evidence supports the idea that there were mammoth floods on Mars. Key Concepts:
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Floods Activity 8: What Questions Has This Module Raised? Purpose: Students articulate their Mars-related questions, identify specific information they need to answer those questions, and learn how to access that information. Key Concepts
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