The Michigan Content Standards and Benchmarks you can cover using "To MARS with MER" are listed below. We hope you will discover additional standards you can use. These are the ones our Instructional Materials Development team felt most directly related to the activities planned for "To MARS with MER".

Michigan Content Standards and Benchmarks

Elementary,   Middle,   High School

Elementary:

Constructing New Scientific Knowledge (C) I.1

All students will ask questions that help them learn about the world

1. Generate questions about the world based on observation.

Key concepts: Questions lead to action, including careful observation and testing; questions often begin with "What happens if?" or "How do these two things differ?"

Real-world contexts: Any in the sections on Using Scientific Knowledge.

All students will design and conduct investigations using appropriate methodology and technology:

2. Develop solutions to problems through reasoning, observation, and investigations.

Key concepts: (K-2) gather information, ask questions, think; (3-5) observe, predict, collect data, draw conclusions, conduct fair tests; prior knowledge.

Real-world contexts: Any in the sections on Using Scientific Knowledge.

3. Manipulate simple devices that aid observation and data collection.

Tools: Various data collection tools suitable for this level, such as hand lenses, wind direction indicators, grids for sampling areas of the sky or landscape.

Real-world contexts: Any suggested in Using Scientific Knowledge benchmarks for which students would design and/or conduct investigations.

4. Use simple measurement devices to make measurements in scientific investigations.

Key concepts: Measurement units-milliliters, liters, teaspoon, tablespoon, ounce, cup, millimeter, centimeter, meter, gram.

Measurement tools: Measuring cups and spoons, measuring tape, scale, thermometer, rulers, graduated cylinders.

Real-world contexts: Making simple mixtures, such as food, play dough, papier mache; measuring height of a person, weight of a ball.

All students will learn from books and other sources of information:

5. Develop strategies and skills for information gathering and problem solving.

Tools: Sources of information, such as reference books, trade books, magazines, web sites, other people’s knowledge.

Real-world contexts: Seeking help from or interviewing peers, adults, experts; using libraries, World Wide Web, CD-ROMs and other computer software, other resources.

All students will communicate findings of investigations, using appropriate technology.

6. Construct charts and graphs and prepare summaries of observations.

Key concepts: Increase, decrease, no change, bar graph, data table.

Tools: Graph paper, rulers, crayons.

Real-world contexts: Examples of bar charts like those found in a newspaper.

Reflecting on Scientific Knowledge (R) II.1

All students will analyze claims for their scientific merit and explain how scientists decide what constitutes scientific knowledge:

1. Develop an awareness of the need for evidence in making decisions scientifically.

Key concepts: (K-2) observations; (3-5) data, evidence, sample, fact, opinion.

Real-world contexts: Deciding whether an explanation is supported by evidence in simple experiments, or relies on personal opinion.

2. Show how science concepts can be illustrated through creative expression such as language arts and fine arts.

Key concepts: Poetry, expository work, painting, drawing, music, diagrams, graphs, charts.

Real-world contexts: Explaining simple experiments using paintings and drawings; describing natural phenomena scientifically and poetically.

All students will show how science and technology affect our society:

3. Describe ways in which technology is used in everyday life.

Key concepts: Provide faster and farther transportation and communication, organize information and solves problems, save time.

Real-world contexts: Cars, other machines, radios, telephones, computer games, calculators, appliances, e-mail, the World Wide Web.

4. Develop an awareness of and sensitivity to the natural world.

Key concepts: Appreciation of the balance of nature and the effects organisms have on each other, including the effects humans have on the natural world.

Real-world contexts: Any in the sections on Using Scientific Knowledge appropriate to elementary school.

All students will show how people of diverse cultures have contributed to and influenced developments in science:

5. Develop an awareness of contributions made to science by people of diverse backgrounds and cultures.

Key concepts: Scientific contributions made by people of diverse cultures and backgrounds.

Real-world contexts: Any in the sections on Using Scientific Knowledge appropriate to this benchmark.

Motion of Objects (PMO) IV.3

All students will describe how things around us move, explain why things move as they do, and demonstrate and explain how we control the motions of objects:

1. Describe or compare motions of common objects in terms of speed and direction.

Key concepts: Words-east, west, north, south, right, left, up, down. Speed words-fast, slow, faster, slower.

Real-world contexts: Motions of familiar objects in two dimensions, including rolling or thrown balls, wheeled vehicles, sliding objects.

2. Explain how forces (pushes or pulls) are needed to speed up, slow down, stop, or change the direction of a moving object.

Key concepts: Changes in motion-speeding up, slowing down, turning. Common forces-push, pull, friction, gravity. Size of change is related to strength of push or pull.

Real-world contexts: Playing ball, moving chairs, sliding objects.

4. Identify and use simple machines and describe how they change effort.

Key concepts: Inclined planes, levers, pulleys, wedges, wheel and axle; force, distance.

Real-world contexts: Block and tackles, ramps, screwdrivers and screws, can openers, see-saws.

5. Manipulate simple mechanical devices and explain how their parts work together.

Key concepts: Names and uses for parts of machines, such as levers, wheel and axles, pulleys, inclined planes, gears, screws, wedges.

Real-world contexts: Simple mechanical devices, such as bicycles, bicycle pumps, pulleys, faucets, clothespins, can openers.

Middle School:

Constructing New Scientific Knowledge (C) I.1

All students will ask questions that help them learn about the world

1. Generate scientific questions about the world based on observation.

Key concepts: Scientific questions can be answered by gathering and analyzing evidence about the world.

Real-world contexts: Any in the sections on Using Scientific Knowledge.

All students will design and conduct investigations using appropriate methodology and technology:

2. Design and conduct scientific investigations.

Key concepts: The process of scientific investigations-test, fair test, hypothesis, theory, evidence, observations, measurements, data, conclusion. Forms for recording and reporting data-tables, graphs, journals. See C-I.1 m.3 (tools).

Real-world contexts: Any in the sections on Using Scientific Knowledge; also, recognizing differences between observations and inferences; recording observations and measurements of everyday phenomena.

3. Use tools and equipment appropriate to scientific investigations.

Tools: various data collection tools suitable for this level, including computers.

Real-world contexts: Any suggested in Using Scientific Knowledge benchmarks for which students would design and/or conduct investigations.

4. Use metric measurement devices to provide consistency in an investigation.

Key concepts: Documentation-laboratory instructions. Measurement units-milliliters, liters, millimeter, centimeter, meter, gram.

Measurement tools: Balancing devices, measuring tape, thermometer, graduated cylinder.

Real-world contexts: Conducting investigations, following or altering laboratory instructions for mixing chemicals.

All students will learn from books and other sources of information:

5. Use sources of information in support of scientific investigations.

Tools: Periodicals, reference books, trade books, web sites, computer software; forms for presenting scientific information, such as figures, tables, graphs. See R-II.1 m.1 (evaluate strengths/weaknesses of claims).

Real-world contexts: Libraries, projects where research is needed.

All students will communicate findings of investigations, using appropriate technology.

6. Write and follow procedures in the form of step-bystep instructions, formulas, flow diagrams, and sketches.

Key concepts: Purpose, procedure, observation, conclusion, data.

Real-world contexts: Listing or creating the directions for completing a task, reporting on investigations.

Reflecting on Scientific Knowledge (R) II.1

All students will analyze claims for their scientific merit and explain how scientists decide what constitutes scientific knowledge:

1. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of claims, arguments, or data.

Key concepts: Aspects of arguments such as data, evidence, sampling, alternate explanation, conclusion; inference, observation.

Real-world contexts: Deciding between alternate explanations or plans for solving problems; evaluating advertising claims or cases made by interest groups; evaluating sources of references.

2. Describe limitations in personal knowledge.

Key concepts: Recognizing degrees of confidence in ideas or knowledge from different sources, evaluating dates and sources of references.

Real-world contexts: Any in the sections on Using Scientific Knowledge.

3. Show how common themes of science, mathematics, and technology apply in real-world contexts.

Thematic ideas: Systems-subsystems, feedback models, mathematical constancy, scale, conservation, structure, function, adaptation.

Real-world contexts: Any in the sections on Using Scientific Knowledge.

All students will show how science and technology affect our society:

4. Describe the advantages and risks of new technologies.

Key concepts: Risk, benefit, side effect, advantage, disadvantage.

Real-world contexts: Technological systems for manufacturing, transportation, energy distribution, housing, medicine (such as cloning, genetic engineering).

5. Develop an awareness of and sensitivity to the natural world.

Key concepts: Appreciation of the balance of nature and the effects organisms have on each other, including the effects humans have on the natural world.

Real-world contexts: Any in the sections on Using Scientific Knowledge appropriate to middle school.

All students will show how people of diverse cultures have contributed to and influenced developments in science:

6. Recognize the contributions made in science by cultures and individuals of diverse backgrounds.

Key concepts: Cultural contributions to science, contributions made by people of diverse backgrounds.

Real-world contexts: Biographies of minority and female scientists; histories of cultural contributions to science.

Motion of Objects (PMO) IV.3

All students will describe how things around us move, explain why things move as they do, and demonstrate and explain how we control the motions of objects:

1. Qualitatively describe and compare motion in two dimensions.

Key concepts: Two-dimensional motion-up, down, curved path. Speed, direction, change in speed, change in direction.

Real-world contexts: Objects in motion, such as thrown balls, roller coasters, cars on hills, airplanes.

2. Relate motion of objects to unbalanced forces in two dimensions.

Key concepts: Changes in motion and common forces-speeding up, slowing down, turning, push, pull, friction, gravity, magnets. Constant motion and balanced forces. Additional forces-attraction, repulsion, action/reaction pair (interaction force), buoyant force. Size of change is related to strength of unbalanced force and mass of object.

Real-world contexts: Changing the direction-changing the direction of a billiard ball, bus turning a corner; changing the speed-car speeding up, a rolling ball slowing down, magnets changing the motion of objects, walking, swimming, jumping, rocket motion, objects resting on a table, tug-of-war.

5. Design strategies for moving objects by application of forces, including the use of simple machines.

Key concepts: Types of simple machines-lever, pulley, screw, inclined plane, wedge, wheel and axle, gear; direction change, force advantage, speed and distance advantage.

Real-world contexts: Objects being moved by using simple machines, such as wagons on inclined planes, heavy objects moved by levers, seesaw, cutting with knives or axes.

Solar System, Galaxy and Universe (ES) V.4

All students will compare and contrast our planet and sun to other planets and star systems.

1. Compare the earth to other planets and moons in terms of supporting life.

Key concepts: Surface conditions-gravity, atmospheres, temperature. Relative distances, relative sizes. Sun produces the light and heat for each planet. Molecules necessary to support life-water, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon; see LC-III.1 m.2 (cell processes), LO-III.2 m.3 (photosynthesis), LEC-III.5 m.2 (light needed for energy).

Real-world contexts: Examples of local and extreme conditions on earth vs. conditions on other planets; exploration of planets and their satellites.

All students will describe and explain how objects in the solar system move.

2. Describe, compare, and explain the motions of solar system objects.

Key concepts: Orbit, rotation (spin), axis, gravity, planets, moons, comets, asteroids, seasons. Tilt of the earth on its axis, direct/indirect rays. See PMO-IV.3 m.2 (force and change in motion) and PMO-IV.3 m.3 (gravity).

Real-world contexts: Observations of comet motion over days and weeks, length of day and year on planets, changes in length of daylight and height of sun in sky; changes in daily temperature patterns; summer and winter solstices, spring and fall equinoxes.

3. Describe and explain common observations of the night skies.

Key concepts: Perceived and actual movement of the moon and planets across the sky, moon phases, eclipses, stars and constellations, planets, Milky Way, comets, comet tails, meteors. Sun is light source for all solar system objects (except meteors; friction with atmosphere), emitted light, reflected light (see PWVIV. 4 m.3 and m.4.)

Real-world contexts: Outdoor observing of the skies, using telescopes and binoculars when available, as well as "naked-eye" viewing; viewing with robotic telescopes via the World Wide Web; telescopic and spacecraft-based photos of planets, moons, and comets; news reports of planetary and lunar exploration.

High School:

Constructing New Scientific Knowledge (C) I.1

All students will ask questions that help them learn about the world

1. Ask questions that can be investigated empirically.

Key concepts: Questions often build on existing knowledge.

Real-world contexts: Any in the sections on Using Scientific Knowledge.

All students will design and conduct investigations using appropriate methodology and technology:

2. Design and conduct scientific investigations.

Key concepts: Types of scientific knowledge-hypothesis, theory, observation, conclusion, law, data, generalization. Aspects of field research-hypothesis, design, observations, samples, analysis, conclusion. Aspects of experimental research-hypothesis, design, variable, experimental group, control group, prediction, analysis, conclusion. Investigations are based on questions about the world (see C-I.1 h.1).

Real-world contexts: Any suggested in Using Scientific Knowledge benchmarks for which students would design and/or conduct investigations.

3. Recognize and explain the limitations of measuring devices.

Key concepts: Uncertainty, error, range, tolerances, accuracy, precision.

Tools: Balance, thermometer, measuring tape, ruler, graduated cylinder, electronic measuring devices.

Real-world contexts: Experiments that use quantitative data; manufacturing systems where measurements are critical.

All students will learn from books and other sources of information:

4. Gather and synthesize information from books and other sources of information.

Key concepts: Scientific journals, text- and computerbased reference materials.

Real-world contexts: Libraries, technical reference books, Internet, computer software.

All students will communicate findings of investigations, using appropriate technology.

5. Discuss topics in groups by making clear presentations, restating or summarizing what others have said, asking for clarification or elaboration, taking alternative perspectives, and defending a position.

Key concepts: Logical argument, summary, clarification, elaboration, alternative perspectives.

Real-world contexts: Newspaper or magazine articles discussing a topic of social concern.

Reflecting on Scientific Knowledge (R) II.1

All students will analyze claims for their scientific merit and explain how scientists decide what constitutes scientific knowledge:

1. Justify plans or explanations on a theoretical or empirical basis.

Key concepts: Aspects of logical argument, including evidence, fact, opinion, assumptions, claims, conclusions, observations.

Real-world contexts: Any in the sections on Using Scientific Knowledge.

2. Describe some general limitations of scientific knowledge.

Key concepts: Understanding of the general limits of science and scientific knowledge as constantly developing human enterprises; recognizing that arguments can have emotive, economic, and political dimensions as well as scientific.

Real-world contexts: Any in the sections on Using Scientific Knowledge.

3. Show how common themes of science, mathematics, and technology apply in real-world contexts.

Thematic ideas: Systems-subsystems, feedback models, mathematical constancy, scale, conservation, structure, function, adaptation.

Real-world contexts: Any in the sections on Using Scientific Knowledge.

4. Discuss the historical development of key scientific concepts and principles.

Key concepts: Historical, political, social, and economic factors influencing the development of science. See Benchmarks for Science Literacy, AAAS, Chapter 10.

Real-world contexts: Historical development of key scientific theories.

All students will show how science and technology affect our society:

5. Explain the social and economic advantages and risks of new technology.

Key concepts: Cost-benefit analysis; See LO h.5 (health technology), PME-IV.1 h.1 (household and agricultural materials, EG-V.1 h.4 (resource use), LEC-III.5 h.6 (effects of urban development and agriculture on ecosystems), EAW-V.3 h.4 (air pollution), EH-V.2 h.2 (water pollution.)

Real-world contexts: Issues related to new technologies, including ones in health-care, transportation, communications, manufacturing, information and media.

6. Develop an awareness of and sensitivity to the natural world.

Key concepts: Appreciation of the balance of nature and the effects organisms have on each other, including the effects humans have on the natural world.

Real-world contexts: Any in the sections on Using Scientific Knowledge appropriate to high school.

All students will show how people of diverse cultures have contributed to and influenced developments in science:

7. Describe the historical, political, and social factors affecting developments in science.

Key concepts: Historical, political, social, and economic factors influencing the development of science.

Real-world contexts: The development of the suncentered model of the solar system and political pressures on Galileo; the development of Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection.

Motion of Objects (PMO) IV.3

All students will describe how things around us move, explain why things move as they do, and demonstrate and explain how we control the motions of objects:

1. Analyze patterns of force and motion in the operation of complex machines.

Key concepts: Electrical and/or mechanical components of complex machines.

Real-world contexts: Machines, such as bicycles, automobiles, pumps, electrical motors.

Solar System, Galaxy and Universe (ES) V.4

All students will explain how we learn about the universe.

4. Explain how technology and scientific inquiry have helped us learn about the universe.

Key concepts: Information-radiant energy, radio waves, light, spectra, color of stars, moon and meteor samples. Devices-radio, optical and other types of telescopes, space probes, satellites, computer imaging/modeling (see PWV-IV.4 h.4.) Problems for investigation—geology and weather of planets and moons, origins, extraterrestrial life.

Real-world contexts: Histories of discoveries, stories of exploration, visits to observatories and planetariums; videos showing space exploration; samples of space materials, including moon rocks and meteorites; remote sensing data; SETI-Search for Extraterrestrial Life.