EARTH / MARS COMPARISONS: PROGRAMS, THEMES AND CONCEPTS THAT COMBINE BEST PRACTICES, SUSTAINABLE CURRICULUM, AND CUTTING-EDGE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENTS FOR K-12 TEACHERS OF EARTH SCIENCE

The ASU Mars Education Program is the lead formal education partner for NASA's Mars Exploration Program. As such, it provides several avenues for teachers to gain content knowledge in Earth Science-based content. These include: 1. National Face-to-Face Professional Development Educator Workshops. These workshops integrate planetary science research experts and mission engineers with teachers for first-person learning experiences, exemplary NASA curricular content, and field-related opportunities. All materials and programs used in these trainings are inquiry-based, hands-on, and have a strategy to allow teachers to gain and deepen their content knowledge at a level and pace that is right for them; 2. Distance Learning Opportunities for Teacher Professional Development and Student Interaction. These trainings provide interface opportunities with experts who are currently involved in planetary exploration. Opportunities are provided in high tech, low tech, and no tech options; 3. Authentic Research Opportunities for Students. The Mars Student Imaging Project (MSIP) allows teams of students from grades 5-14 to propose a question about Mars and acquire an image using the THEMIS camera currently in orbit around Mars. The Mars Exploration Student Data Teams and Mars Student Interns involve high school students working during mission operations to augment data acquisition for the current Mars missions. These opportunities allow students to participate in the scientific process as active researchers instead of passive participants. 4. Field Opportunities. The ASU Mars Education Program facilitates educator field trips that are to Earth/Mars analog sites. These opportunities are lead by current experts and Mars researchers allowing for dynamic interfaces and immersive learning environments for teachers.

Our teaching methodologies allow for the embracement of teachers from the K-12 spectrum, allowing them to introduce and build Earth Science concepts throughout the years of students' learning.