Mission to Mars puts a different twist on a typical non-fiction book. It paints a picture of what you, the reader, might need to do on a mission to Mars. It would take you over six months to reach Mars once you have left the International Space Station. Then, you would transfer into the Mars Habitat Lander. You could then use the Lander to land on the surface of Mars. It has sections for sleeping, living, exercising, and conducting experiments. Mission to Mars provides a variety of facts and information about this planet and the roles of astronauts who explore it. Since gravity on Mars is only one-third the force on Earth, you could lift heavy things easily. Inside the Station there is air, so you do not need to wear your space suit when you’re inside. The name for this planet was derived from the Roman god Mars, the god of war. Since they only knew that Mars was a reddish-planet, they associated red with the color of blood and war. Today, we can use technology to tell us much more about this planet. For example, we now know that Mars had water many years ago by studying old riverbeds in the rock. There is a dormant volcano on Mars that has the highest peak in the solar system! Mission to Mars is filled with many more facts about this planet. The book concludes with a look on how you, the astronaut, would make their way back home to Earth.
This book can definitely be used as a part of the science unit on the solar system. Since Mars is Earth’s neighbor and our knowledge of the planet is growing exponentially, I think it should be taught in more depth than the rest of the planets. The recent discoveries on Mars are relevant, and you could ask students to do a Science in the News project. For this project, you could introduce the book, and then ask students to find recent science journals or articles that focus on a recent discovery on Mars. This project not only teaches students about the planet, but it also allows them to explore online resources and use search engines to find scholarly articles. Lastly, you could have students present their articles to the class. Since the book also focuses on the astronaut’s role, you could have students research the career of an astronaut (training, schooling, duties, etc.). You might be able to spark a child’s interest in pursuing this path!
