Working in pairs or groups, students will use materials at hand to design a "spacecraft" for an alien to safely land on mars!
Non-consumable
- Alien Figurines (or students can make their own aliens from modelling clay!)
- Scissors
- Ruler/Measuring Tape
Consumable (Suggested - but you can use whatever you have on hand in your classroom! Be creative!)
- Foam sheets
- Dixie cups
- Straws
- Cotton balls
- Construction paper
- Tape
- Coffee filters
- Paper plates
- Cardboard
- Index cards
- Rope
- Construction paper
You can modify this activity with the following age appropriate challenges we have described below:
- K - 2: They can modify the outside of the cup, and what is inside the cup, but they can’t cover the top of the cup, because the teacher has to be able to come and put an alien into your cup.
- 3 - 5: Students are now challenged with how to slow down and stabilize your cup as the alien falls? Students can modify the cup but try to lead them to other conclusions other than adding padding or just parachutes.
- 6/7: Students are now challenged to try and keep the cup upright after it lands so that the alien stays inside safely. Use different mechanisms to stabilize the spacecraft, and absorb some of the impact of the landing (shock absorption). Encourage “springs”, big bases etc, try and get them to move away from parachutes!
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