Mars –
Our New Home?
Think carefully about each question, and use evidence from the texts to support your conclusions. Write your answers in full sentences, and use explanations and examples where needed.
Surface Level: Find the Answer in the Text
What are some similarities between Earth and Mars?
Some similarities between earth and mars is the sand; the sands on mars are like the deserts on the Earth. Another similarity is that Mars also has canyons, mountains, volcanoes, and ice.
Humans would find it challenging to live on Mars without what?
A challenge that humans would face is the oxygen, Mars oxygen has 96% of carbon dioxide it barely has any a little bit of oxygen. Another challenge is the trip to mars as it would take 7 months since mars is 342 million kilometres.
What are the 3 things that the article says are making our planet Earth unlivable?
Pollution, pollution is something that is harming our planet. Climate change, climate change is another thing that is harming the earth as it melts our ice causing sea level to rise. Lastly is the overuse of natural resources, us humans overuse the natural resources that we get making the earth less livable.
Inference: Use Clues from the Text to Think of an Answer
Explain in your own words why scientists are exploring the possibility of a move to Mars?
Scientists are exploring the possibility of moving to mars as the Earth is dying because of us humans and because there are no other habitable planets besides earth and mars. You might be wondering why Mars is habitable because it has ice and ice contains water.
What are some challenges that humans would face if there was a move to Mars?
Some challenges humans would face on mars is the oxygen, the oxygen on mars is 100 times thinner than the oxygen on earth and the oxygen on mars has 96% carbon dioxide. Another challenge that humans would face is the food as we can’t grow stuff on the surface of mars.
Why do you think plants will be so important to the terraforming of Mars?
Plants are very important for terraforming Mars as a tree is a plant and trees absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen and you will need oxygen to make an atmosphere.
Unfamiliar Words: Clarifying Language that may cause Misunderstanding
Word
Sentence from the text
Definition
Enthusiast
A planet called Mars, has captured the imagination of scientists and space enthusiasts alike.
Enthusiast means someone who is very interested in stuff.
Potential
Let’s take a closer look at Mars and the potential of humans moving there
Potential is when something can happen in the future.
Abundant
While Earth is beautiful and abundant, we must face the reality that our actions are harming our planet.
Abundant is when something is in large quantities. Another definition of abundant is when there is plenty of.
Generate
We would need to find ways to grow food, create sustainable habitats, and generate the resources necessary for survival.
Generate is when you create or produce more.
Global Inferencing: Making Connections between the Text and the Wider World
Would you want to be one of the first people living on Mars?
Come up with solid reasons for your choice, and provide evidence, and examples to support your reasons.
No I would not want to live on Mars, yeah the earth is dying but if we move to mars we could possibly ruin mars as we already ruined the earth. We could also just make our technology better and make the earth better. If that won’t work we could just generate more trees for oxygen and terraforming Mars would take over 100k years and in that time we could slow down pollution.
The oxygen that Mars has is 96% carbon dioxide and the trees or plants would be hard to plant as the trees would die easily. If you were the first person to live on mars you would be isolated. That’s why I don’t wanna go to mars and I just wanna stay on earth and make it better.
The trip to mars is also bad for us. It could be a low chance of actually arriving to mars as it would take 7 months and in those 7 months the ship could malfunction. Staying on the ship with no gravity can cause bad health problems like losing 1%/1.5% bone density. That’s how being the first person to live on mars is terrible.