BRIDGING HE GAP BETWEEN "ROCKS FOR JOCKS" AND THE MARS SAMPLE RETURN PROGRAM

Having just a couple of each at this station allows for reuse over the years. Because hardness is a relative scale, their findings (which are compared to a reference sheet, Figure 2) give them a range (in our case 4-6), and are not sufficient for them to identify the sample from the one station alone. [...]a number of tests should be completed and compared before identifying the unknown rock sample. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory has numerous websites containing description of this research, the Mars Sample Return program, and upcoming Mars and planetary missions, including images obtained from real satellites and rovers (see Resources). CONTENTAREA Chemistry, geology physical sciences GRADE LEVEL 6-9 BIG IDEA/UNIT Earth science can teach us about space science ESSENTIAL-PRE-EXISTING KNOWLEDGE Names and symbols of common chemical elements, how to calculate density, physical properties of minerals TIME REQUIRED Approximately 1.5-2 hours COST About $10 SAFETY Indirectly vented chemical splash-proof goggles are required for stations 1 and 4.