IMPROVING YOUNG GENERATION'S THINKING SKILLS BY USING DISCOVERIES MADE BY CURIOSITY ON MARS

The excitement induced by recent discoveries made by Curiosity, regarding the atmosphere and soil composition on Mars, can be successfully used across secondary school, Access and Higher Education levels to improve students' thinking skills. The analysis of Mars atmosphere revealed a composition which might be similar to Earth's early atmosphere. The soil composition shows the presence of carbon - based molecules of unknown origin. This work aims to present ways by which students of various abilities can improve their learning experience and contribute to scientific research. Using scientific data available on NASA websites and planetary data systems, KS4 students can model the evolution of Earth atmosphere, compared to Mars. The project can be carried on with Access and Higher Education science students, looking at various aspects of chemical reactions taking place in conditions similar to Mars atmosphere.