Antarctic Meteorites and Mars

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Introduction

National Middle School Science Standards

Earth Science, Physical Science

Key Terms

geology, meteorites, minerals, Mars, solar system history, melt clasts

Key Concepts

Characteristics of meteorites
Evidence of solar system collisions
Antarctica as a source of meteorites
What meteorites reveal about Mars
Technology used by meteoriticists

Resource Types

Videos and Webcasts

Exploring the Solar System with Antarctic Meteorites with Smithsonian geologist Cari Corrigan on Smithsonian Science How
Meteorites and Spacecraft Missions; with Smithsonian geologist Tim McCoy on Smithsonian Science How
Webinar: What Mars Reveals about Life in Our Universe with Smithsonian geologist Cari Corrigan, planetary geology Ph.D. student L. Miché Aaron, and Smithsonian planetary scientist Mariah Baker on Smithsonian Science How

Printable Lessons

Impact Craters National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
The Sky is Falling NASA Summer of Innovation Unit (PDF)
Impact Craters: A Look at the Past Voyage: A Journey Through our Solar System (PDF)
Scratching the Surface - Carving Channels Lunar and Planetary Institute
Is There Water on Mars? NASA

Posters and Worksheets

Anatomy of a Martian Meteorite Lunar and Planetary Institute

Science Literacy Resources

Middle School Level

Meteors & Meteorites NASA

High School Level

Meteorites: Messengers from Outer Space Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Iron Meteorites Play Hide-and-Seek Under Antarctic Ice Smithsonian Magazine
Early Life May Have Thrived in the Wreckage of a Meteorite Smithsonian Insider Magazine
Beautiful Meteorites Hold Clues to Solar System’s Violent Start Smithsonian Insider Magazine
Yikes! The Sky is Falling. And a Meteoric Dispute Ensues Smithsonian Magazine
One Hundred Years Ago Today, a Mars Meteorite Fell in a Blaze Smithsonian Magazine

Advanced Reading Level

The Building Blocks of Life May Have Come from Outer Space Smithsonian Magazine
A Smithsonian Expert Breaks Down the Science of Meteors Smithsonian Magazine
Space Rock Hunters Are About to Invade Antarctica Smithsonian Magazine
Life on Mars? Smithsonian Magazine
A 2.1 Billion-Year-Old Meteorite Reveals Water on Mars Smithsonian Magazine

Subject Guides

Geosciences Subject Guide Smithsonian Libraries

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

The Antarctic Meteorites and Mars teaching resources support students in meeting the following middle school NGSS Performance Expectations.

Earth Science

MS-ESS1 Earth's Place in the Universe

MS-ESS1-2 Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system.
MS-ESS1-3 Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar system.
MS-ESS1-4 Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to organize Earth's 4.6-billion-year-old history.

Physical Science

MS-PS1 Matter and Its Interactions

MS-PS1-1 Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures.

MS-PS2 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

MS-PS2-1 Apply Newton's Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects.

Resource Type