http://www.chron.com/news/nation-world/space/article/Students-showcase-model-Mars-rovers-as-part-of-12521948.php
Students to showcase model Mars rovers as part of NASA-developed curriculum
Published 12:09 pm, Wednesday, January 24, 2018
After six weeks of research and construction, elementary and middle school youngsters proudly will display their model Mars rovers on Saturday at the University of Houston.
Saturday's 2018 Mars Rover Celebration is the culmination of weeks of hard work as part of a classroom-learning or homework project on Mars. The students were given a design criteria for a rover and researched how to best construct it.
Then, with a budget up $10-$25, the students built their ideas.
The program's curriculum was developed by NASA, teaching students how to use $25 worth of household items, such as aluminum foil or toilet paper, to build a Mars rover. The program is designed to create a national corps of STEM educators in as many communities as possible.
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"With NASA working toward launching manned missions to Mars as early as the 2030s, it is incredibly exciting to consider the possibility students at this year's celebration could be among the first to step foot on a new world," according to a University of Houston news release.
The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at UH's Student Center South Houston Room, located at 4455 University Dr.
Alex Stuckey covers NASA and the environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron.com or Twitter.com/alexdstuckey.
