Year 5 students recently took part in an exciting Mission to Mars Day, exploring what it might take for humans to travel to and live on the Red Planet.
Throughout the day, students participated in a range of hands-on learning experiences that combined science, technology, engineering and creativity. They heard from astrophysicists from the University of New South Wales, who spoke about how people may one day be sent to Mars and the challenges involved in such an ambitious mission.
Students then used Minecraft Education to plan and build a habitat that could sustain life on Mars. This required them to think carefully about shelter, food, water, oxygen and the harsh conditions of the Martian environment. Working collaboratively, they also designed a 3D toy that could be taken on the spaceship, considering both creativity and practicality for life in space.
Another highlight of the day was a glimpse into spacecraft history, with students examining LEGO models representing different generations of space exploration. This helped them see how technology has changed over time and how each step in history has contributed to future possibilities.
Mission to Mars Day was a wonderful opportunity for Year 5 students to ask big questions, solve problems, work as a team and imagine the future of space exploration. The day inspired curiosity, creativity and excitement as students considered what life beyond Earth might one day look like.
Mr David Stroud
Junior School Teacher - Year 5 Year Leader