Live From Mars ended in December 1997. Please see Mars Team Online for a more recent project about Mars.

The Planet Explorer Toolkit

An overview of the Collaborative Activity (updated 3/3/97)

Here is a brief summary of the Live From Mars P.E.T. activities involving students collaborating with one another.

The activity involves having students simulate the activities of the Mars Pathfinder team. Roughly sketched out:

- October 18-November 30th: P.E.T. activity was announced via updates-lfm online newsletter and discuss-lfm forum. Educators register their interest in participating by emailing Jan Wee at jwee@mail.arc.nasa.gov. Educators prepare classes by sharing the P.E.T. overview with students

- December 1- 20th: Students brainstorm in their classrooms what common/inexpensive tools they would place in a shoebox to measure their local environment.

- December 10 - 20th: Students share their ideas online and read others' submissions.

- January 16-24: Reach agreement on Weather-Related Tools.

- January 27-31: Reach agreement on Imaging Instruments.

- February 3-7: Reach agreement on items from Kits and Navigation Tools

- February 10-12: Reach agreement on Collection Tools and Storage Devices and Containers

- February 13-14: Reach agreement on Guide Books and Data Storage Tools

- February 17-19: Reach agreement on Illumination and Communication Tools

- February 19-21: Reach agreement on Protection/Safety, Other Useful Tools, and Miscellaneous Tools

- February 24-March 14th: Review our proposed Toolkit for needs/gaps, excessive costs, problems, and revise as needed. Special note -- March 3-14 -- NASA Mars Mission Team member joins the online debate forum to assist participants in reaching consensus.

- March 14 -- REACH CONSENSUS via the debate-lfm forum discussions

- March 15- April 4th -- Participating Classes gather their P.E.T. instruments and collect DATA to be shared online. Interpretative activities will be designed by PTK Staff utilizing this student data.

- Data will be submitted by April 4th, 1997 using email or web-based data submission form, and displayed online.

- By April 11th: Passport to Knowledge will select winning classes (one per grade level range -- elementary, middle and high school) on the basis of their overall involvement in the P.E.T. activity. These classes will be receive special honors. Each of the selected classes will receive a special award allowing them unique ways to participate in NASA's missions to the Red Planet.

- Mid to late April: A set of 7 locations are designated Mystery Spots. A contest is held to determine the location of these Mystery Spots.

- Until May 20th: Classes will submit answers to "Where in the World are these PET Mystery Sites?" Special awards will be giving to one class per grade level (elementary, middle and high school) based on accuracy. (A drawing will be held in case of ties.)