Building comprehension of 'Curiosity' through rich discussion | English

Starter quiz

Which location did the Curiosity rover launch from?
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California
- Kennedy Space Centre, Florida ✓
- Griffith Observatory, California
What was the name of the rocket that helped the rover break through the Earth's atmosphere?
- Atlas V ✓
- Bravo IV
- Charlie III
- Delta II
What did the scientists not want the Curiosity rover to take with it from Earth?
- wheels
- chemistry lab
- bacteria ✓
Match the following words to their definitions.
- sterile
  
  ⇔
  
  clean and free from any germs or contaminants ✓
- predecessor
  
  ⇔
  
  an earlier version or model ✓
- expendable
  
  ⇔
  
  something that is used up or consumed and cannot be reused ✓
Why was the launch date carefully chosen?
- to avoid the rover hitting any debris in space ✓
- to avoid launching at night-time
- to avoid colliding with any orbiting planets ✓
- to avoid national celebrations
True or False? The only part of the rocket that travelled with the rover was called the module.
- True ✓
- False

Match the following keywords to their definition.
- Curiosity rover
  
  ⇔
  
  a robot explorer sent to Mars by NASA ✓
- purpose
  
  ⇔
  
  an object's function or job ✓
True or False? A Martian sol is longer than a day on Earth.
- True ✓
- False
How long does the journey last from entering Mars’ atmosphere to landing?
- 2 minutes
- 7 minutes ✓
- 20 minutes
- 70 minutes
Match the equipment with its purpose.
- laser
  
  ⇔
  
  to break and examine the consistency of the rocks ✓
- drill
  
  ⇔
  
  to collect samples from beneath the surface of Mars ✓
- navigation cameras
  
  ⇔
  
  to detect hazards and safely travel around the Martian landscape ✓
Which of the following is true?
- the rover is unable to take images
- the rover has been able to travel across the surface of Mars ✓
- the Curiosity has sent back images from Mars’ surface ✓
- the rover has remained stationary
True or False? It did not matter where the Curiosity rover landed.
- True
- False ✓

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The Curiosity rover’s landing was very complex; there were lots of stages involved.
Once it had landed safely, Curiosity set off to explore the surface.
A range of equipment and technology allow the Curiosity to conduct experiments on the surface of the planet.

There are a few possible answers to the question about the "perfect" landing (in the 'Landing on Mars' cycle).

If pupils can justify how the landing went well, with evidence from their reading of the text, it is likely an appropriate justification.