Mini-Lesson

Objective: Students will identify details in a science story.

1. Before passing out the timeforkids.com news article, Phoenix Has Landed! tell students that you will give them a five-question quiz after reading the article. Explain that the quiz will focus on details, the important bits of information found within a story that help us to understand the big picture.

2. After reading the story, present students with the five-question quiz:

What is the name of the NASA craft that landed on Mars on May 25? (The Mars Phoenix Lander, or the Phoenix, for short)

True or false: Mars is filled with lakes and rivers. (False; Mars is a dry desert planet)

What is the Phoenix searching for on Mars? (frozen water, or ice)

What is the purpose of the Phoenix mission? (to see if life is possible on Mars; to see if there was ever life on Mars)

Yes or no: The Phoenix is a mobile rover. (No; the Phoenix will not move around Mars. It will stay in one place)

3. After completing the five-question quiz, encourage students to name other interesting details in the article.

4. Extend Learning: Have students read this article from the timeforkids.com archive: Amazing Mars.