Free

MARS ROVER STEM UNIT

Grades 3-8 | NGSS Aligned | 4 hrs Instruction Time | Free PD Included

Unit Overview:

In the Mars Rover STEM Unit, students will apply their knowledge of forces, electricity, and Newton's Laws to design and build their very own Mars rover from scratch in the Qweebi Virtual Makerspace App.

The unit is divided into 3 parts-

  • Part 1: Intro to the mission (45 mins)

    • The unit begins with an engaging classroom discussion of the challenges of exploring Mars.

  • Part 2: Exploring Science Concepts (45 mins x 2)

    • Students will then learn about the science concepts behind rovers, such as forces, electricity, and Newton's Laws.

    • They will do this through hands-on mini-challenges in the Qweebi App.

  • Part 3: Engineering Design Challenge (90 mins)

    • Students will follow the steps of the ‘Engineering Design Process’ to build, test, and improve their rover prototypes - all within the Qweebi App.

    • To successfully finish the challenge, students will have to show that their rover can safely transport 6 lbs of rock samples across the simulated Martian terrain.

What will students learn?

Students will:

  1. Get a deeper understanding of science concepts like forces, electricity, and Newton’s laws.

  2. Learn how to apply the Engineering Design Process to solve open-ended problems.

  3. Develop 21st-century skills like critical thinking, creativity, communication, and grit.

  4. Be exposed to real-world STEM careers like Mechanical and Robotics Engineering.

What will students make?

  • The students will make Mars Rover prototypes from scratch. They’ll have a wide variety of supplies to choose from and tools like gluing and soldering to put them together.

Creative out-of-box designs created by students in grades 3-8.

How will you facilitate this unit in your classroom?

1. Hook

Start every session with a video that’s guaranteed to hook your students.

2. Design>Build>Test

Students design, build, and test their prototypes on Qweebi.

3. Assess

Assess student creations from your teacher dashboard.

What will we do to help you facilitate this unit?

We’ll provide you with all the help you'll need. Our top-rated professional development, ready-to-go teacher resources, and 24x7 support will make sure you feel supported every step of the way.

  1. Professional development: We’ll give you a minimum of 2 hours of professional development to help you learn how to use the Qweebi App, how to successfully deliver the curriculum, and how to assess student creations.

  2. Teacher resources: Our teacher resources include teacher guide, teacher slides, and student handouts to help you stay on track and facilitate the unit from start to finish. Less prep work for you, more fun for everyone.

Support: The Qweebi team is available to provide you with support through email and chat. We’ll respond to your queries within 4 working hours.

What devices can students use to access Qweebi?

To access Qweebi, students will need an internet connection and a Mac, Windows, or Chromebook computer.

Sign up to get your FREE Mars Rover STEM Unit.

FAQs

  • Qweebi is a virtual makerspace app that lets students do hands-on STEM projects just like in the real world. It runs on Chromebook, Mac, and Windows.

  • With Qweebi, teachers can:

    1. Run rich, standards-aligned, hands-on projects without worrying about supplies, space, storage, or time.

    2. Save time by avoiding the need to find lesson plans and gather materials.

    3. Help students focus on higher-order thinking skills - testing and improving their prototypes, instead of wasting time on non-value-added activities like cutting and gluing.

    4. Empower students to go from idea to prototype in minutes instead of hours.

    5. Easily track student progress and share learning outcomes with parents and administrators.

    Teachers who use Qweebi believe it's the best way to teach students the engineering design process and 21st-century skills.

  • No, it’s not difficult to learn. Qweebi is designed to be extremely easy to use. We also offer you a 1:1 training sessions that will get you building like a pro in no time.

    1. Sign up to let us know you're interested in running the Mars Rover Unit with your students. (5 mins)

    2. Get trained by completing our Mission to Mars PD to learn how to deliver the unit in your classroom. (2 hrs)

    3. Launch the unit with your students and watch them learn and explore!

  • Yes, the 4-hour Mars Rover Unit is completely free for you to use. If you’re doing 1 session per week, this unit will last you for a month.

  • You can use Qweebi with as many students as you like. No limit on student accounts!

  • Yes, you can still run the unit. You can choose to run Qweebi either as a solo activity or a group activity. For group activities, we recommend a group size 3-4. For a class size of 20 students, you will need at least 5 laptops.

What Teachers are saying

  • “I was surprised by how quickly students picked up Qweebi and how engaged they were. Students will see me in the hall outside of class hours and they ask if they can come to my office and work with the app.”

    Chris Pros, Grade 6-8, STEM Teacher. Oak Park School, IL, USA

  • “Qweebi gave ALL of my 4th grade students access to an unlimited amount of supplies while solving a real world problem. This is something that I never could have done for 55 students physically!.”

    Nicole Lutzke, Grade 4 STEM Teacher

    Parkview Elementary School, WI, USA

  • “My student engagement with Qweebi was unlike any other project or software I have used. My students learned MORE of the STEM concepts in a MUCH shorter time.”

    Kimberly Smith, K-8 STEM Teacher

    Saint Raphael School, NJ, USA

  • “Qweebi helps me save countless hours in prep and shopping. If I am unavailable for a day, the substitute teacher can keep the show on. This was impossible with makerspace projects. ”

    Jennifer , Grade 7 STEM Teacher

    Owasso Public School, OK, USA

Have questions?