Module: The Grand Canyon of Mars and How It Formed Grades 6-12, Three Weeks Obtain This Module |
Mars has many canyons and valleys, most of which were caused by the movement of the planet's crust. By examining these canyons and valleys, students gain insight into the processes that created them. Since the Grand Canyon of Mars is a rift valley and was not formed by water, this module focuses on processes that alter a planet's surface in the absence of flowing surface water such as uplift, slumping, sapping, and subsidence. |
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Canyons Activity 1: How Does Uplift Affect a Planet's Surface? Purpose: Students use a corn starch-filled aluminum pan to examine how a planet's surface can become deformed and fractured by pressure from below the surface. Key Concepts:
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Canyons Activity 2: How Does the Flow of Groundwater Affect a Planet's Surface? Purpose: Students use a sand-filled tray to investigate the effect that water flowing beneath the surface has on the surface. Key Concepts:
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Canyons Activity 3: What Happens When Material Is Removed From Beneath a Surface? Purpose: Students use sugar cubes (soluble) and dice (insoluble) to construct a "landscape" and investigate features such as sinkholes and karst landscapes that are created by subsidence. Key Concepts:
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Canyons Activity 4: How Did Valles Marineris Form? Purpose: Students try to explain the formation of the largest, most complex rift valley on Mars by applying what they learned earlier in the module about processes that alter a planet's surface. Key Concepts:
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Canyons Activity 5: 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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