Traverse the Terrain

Materials

Look for items that match the categories; see the suggestions below for ideas. Try to provide several different types of items for each category.

Background Information for Teachers

Vocabulary

For more tips on vocabulary and common engineering terms see The Tech Interactive's Tech Tip: The Language of Engineering.

• Coordinate: a set of values that show an exact position
• Coordinate plane: the plane containing the "x" axis and "y" axis
• Obstacle: something that blocks the way or prevents progress
• Rover: a planetary surface exploration device designed to move across the solid surface on a planet
• Terrain: the physical features of a stretch of land

1. Perseverance Explores the Jezero Crater Delta video (3:19 min)
2. Computational Thinking Lessons | The Tech Interactive

Prep Work

Testing Set-up

1. Set up the classroom so teams have space to build and test their model terrains.
   • Each team will need a flat surface (table or floor) on which to lay their chart paper.
   • Teams will be rotating from one model to another at least three times, so make sure there is enough space for students to move between models.

Lesson Preparation

Image Credit: Tech Museum
1. Collect, organize, and set up obstacles materials.
2. Print out Traverse the Terrain Handouts double-sided (one per team).
3. Create an example terrain on chart paper by making the x and y axes and marking the units (we recommend two squares per unit). Set up obstacles on the terrain in an area of the classroom where it won't be disturbed.
4. Complete both the Mapping Coordinates and the Navigation Instructions on the Traverse the Terrain Handout based on the obstacles on your example terrain.

Lesson Instructions

Frame the Challenge

Activate Prior Knowledge (10 min)

1. Begin by letting learners know that today they will be exploring how to guide a rover over uncharted terrain on Mars.
2. Ask Guiding Questions to explore what learners already know about rovers and the planet Mars:
   • What is a rover? What are they designed to do?
   • Can you name one or more of the five rovers we have sent to Mars?
   • What kinds of things have we learned about the planet Mars from rovers?
   • What do you think the terrain of Mars is like?
3. Introduce learners to the Perseverance rover, which has been navigating Mars and sending information to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) since 2021.
   • If learners need more context, see Additional Resources.
   • Optional: Share the Perseverance Explores the Jezero Crater Delta video (3:19 min) of footage collected of the Jezero Crater Delta to help learners visualize the terrain of Mars.
4. Ask learners to consider how a rover like Perseverance navigates through the obstacles of the Martian terrain:
   • How does a rover know which way to move?
   • Who controls the movement of the rover?
5. Let learners know that they are going to be using a coordinate plane to create a test model of how to guide a rover through the hazardous terrain.

Additional Resources: Perseverance Rover Image Credit: NASA JPL/Cal-Tech / Public domain

Perseverance (nicknamed Percy by the engineers at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory) is a Mars rover that was designed to explore the Jezero crater as part of NASA's Mars 2020 mission. Perseverance has several science goals, including looking for past signs of microbial life, collecting geological samples, and testing technologies that could potentially help humans live on Mars in the future.

Check out the resources from NASA Science Mars website below to learn more about Perseverance, other Mars rovers, and the search for signs of ancient life on Mars.

• "Overview and 3D Model of Perseverance," NASA website.
• "Meet the People Behind NASA's Perseverance Rover," NASA website.
• "Mars 2020 Mission Overview," NASA website.
• "Explore with Perseverance," NASA website.
• "NASA Science Space Place: The Mars Rovers," NASA website.

Introduce the Challenge (5 min)

1. Introduce the design scenario:

   NASA is getting ready to land a rover on an unchartered territory of Mars. You and your team of NASA engineers have been tasked with designing a test model of the Martian terrain. Since accuracy is pivotal for the success of the mission, teams will be checking each other's work by mapping the coordinates as well as creating and testing a set of written navigation instructions for another team's terrains.

2. Introduce the design problem, criteria, and constraints.

Image Credit: Tech Museum

Activity

Build Model Terrains (10 min)

1. Divide learners into teams of three to four.
2. Pass out one sheet of gridded chart paper to each team. Have teams start by creating their Mars terrain by adding:
   • the x- and y-axis.
   • the values.
   • a destination point for the rover.
     • Ask them to mark the destination point with a star so it will be clear on all the maps.
     • They can choose where they want to place the destination point, but it will need to be a place where the rover can navigate.
3. Once teams have completed their coordinate plane on the chart paper, they can pick up their obstacle materials.
4. Teams will spend a few minutes placing their obstacles on their coordinate plane.
   • Remind teams that their model of the Mars terrain will need to include at least seven obstacles.
   • Obstacles can be taped down to prevent them from moving accidentally.
5. Ask teams to indicate when their terrain is finished by raising their hands.

Mapping Coordinates (15 min)

Image Credit: Tech Museum

1. Once all teams have completed placing their obstacles on the terrain, bring the class back together.
2. Let them know that their next job is to map out the location of each of the obstacles. Ask the class how they might communicate where the obstacles are to someone controlling the Mars rover.
3. Show learners your premade example of coordinates mapped using your Mapping Coordinates page of the Traverse the Terrain Handout.
   • Ask Guiding Questions:
     • What do you notice?
     • What information would you need if you were moving the rover through the terrain?
   • Learners should recognize that in most cases, they will need to record multiple coordinates around the perimeter of the obstacles so the rover will know all the places where it might hit an obstacle.
     • Example: If the obstacle is boxed-shaped, they will want to write down the coordinates at each corner.
   • Remind them that they will also want to mark the places where the rover starts (0,0) and ends (the destination point).
4. Remind learners that since accuracy is extremely important, a different team should map out the obstacles that were placed, ensuring quality control.
5. Have teams rotate to the station on their right. Pass out one Traverse the Terrain Handout to each team. Have them turn to the Mapping Coordinates page of the handout to get started.
6. Let them know they have about 10 minutes to map out the obstacles. Ask them to again indicate when they are done by raising their hands.
7. Bring the class back together once all the teams have completed mapping the obstacles.

Quality Control Inspection (15 min)

Image Credit: Tech Museum
1. Let learners know that their last step is to take on the role of quality control engineers. Their new job is to:
   • Do quality control on another team's map by checking the map for accuracy.
   • Create a set of instructions on how to navigate the rover through the terrain.
2. Show learners the back of your example Navigation Instructions.
   • Remind learners that they are telling the rover where to go to avoid hitting the obstacles, but they can decide as a team how to accomplish this.
     • Make sure they are aware that their last step should always be the destination point determined by the previous team.
   • Point out that they are directing the rover by giving it a set of step by-step instructions like a recipe or algorithm, so the order that they write down the coordinates in the instructions matters.
   • ell learners that they need to include a minimum of five steps for the rover to reach the destination point, but can include more if they would like.
3. Once they have completed their instructions, teams should:
   • find another team that is also done.
   • trade spots with that team.
   • test out the instructions they created to test for accuracy.
4. Let them know that they will have about 15 minutes to check the new map, create navigation instructions, and test out another team's instructions.
   • The class goal is for everyone's instructions to be tested by at least one other team before the time is up.
   • Once teams understand the directions have them turn to the Navigation Instructions page of their Traverse the Terrain Handout and begin.
5. Bring the class back together once every set of instructions have been tested.

Debrief (5 min)

1. Lead a short debrief. Possible Debrief Questions could include:
   • How challenging was it to navigate through another team's terrain?
   • After working with the other team's terrains, would you make any changes to your team's terrain design if you could?
   • How do we give/use directions on Earth? How might that be different in outer space?
   • What are some situations in which a coordinate plane would be useful here on Earth?
   • What are ways we do quality control in our lives? (e.g., Having an adult check our homework.)