Modeling Martian Craters

The third grade has just about completed their voyage to Mars, the Red Planet. As their space craft hovers over the crater-marked surface of the 4th planet from the sun, they wonder what could have made all those craters. So, they decided to run some tests. They made impactors out of clay, and dropped them from a measured height into a pan of flour and paprika which represented the surface of Mars. Students noticed how far the "ejecta" flew from the site of impact, and how deep and wide the crater was. The students also designed a second experiement where they manipulated varibles and determined what affect there was on the crater size and shape. This investigation helped the students understand some of the factors that changed the surface of Mars.