Session: The Tumbleweed Project

GIS Special Event

Description:

Carnage Middle teacher Holly Hanrahan and three students will present their work on The Tumbleweed Project, a project for NASA that required designing a
wind-driven sensor device that will take atmospheric and soil measurements on Mars with the goal of discovering life on the planet and sending data back to Earth. The NC State University students of Hanrahan's Kenan mentor (Hanrahan is a 2002 Kenan Fellow), Dr. Fred DeJarnette,
Professor of Aerospace, collaborated with 100 sixth-graders from Carnage Middle to create prototypes for
unmanned space probes to Mars. Students ran trials putting their tumbleweeds through what might be normal
paces in atmospheric conditions simulating the surface of Mars. Students did in-depth research on the planet as well as principles of design and worked collaboratively on design teams to select the best materials and shapes for such a device.

Speakers:

Holly Hanrahan and Students from Carnage Middle School

Preparing for this Session:

K -- What do you know already about NASA's efforts to discover life on Mars?

W -- What is The Tumbleweed Project and how can middle school students search for life on mars?

L -- After you have researched The Tumbleweed Project site, describe its purpose, how it basically works, and Carnage Middle School's role in this exciting project?

Q -- What questions do you have that you can ask Holly Hanrahan and her students?