This session introduces "Visualizing Possible Human Migration to Mars Caves", a NASA SCoPE–funded STEM curriculum that invites students to imagine and scientifically evaluate the possibility of humans living in Martian caves. Designed for middle‑grade learners (but adaptable and tested with high school aged students), the curriculum blends planetary science, engineering challenges, creative writing, and astrobiology to build both scientific literacy and imaginative problem‑solving.
Teachers will get an overview of the curriculum’s progression: from understanding Mars’ environment and NASA’s current exploration technologies, to investigating magnetic fields, cave geology, and the protective advantages of subsurface habitats. The unit guides students through hands‑on activities such as temperature conversions, analyzing Mars Odyssey orbiter images, modeling stalagmite formation, and exploring how oxygen, water, food, and light might be produced using biological and chemical processes.
We’ll also look at how the curriculum connects Earth cave systems to Martian analogs, introduces research on bioluminescent lighting and microbial resource production, and culminates in a design challenge where students create their own concepts for future Mars cave habitats. Educators will leave with a clear sense of how the curriculum supports standards‑aligned instruction while sparking curiosity, creativity, and scientific reasoning.
Timothy DeLisle Director of Education and Curation
Timothy DeLisle is the Director of Education and Curation at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI). His work centers on making scientific tools and data more accessible through intuitive software, interactive museum experiences, and hands‑on STEMeducation.Tim first came... Read More →
