The Martian

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. How do historical explorers compare with modern-day space explorers?

Teaching Suggestion: Invite students to name famous explorers and list them on a whiteboard (or equivalent) along with their accomplishments. What are some of the things they have in common? Are those things also likely to be shared by people engaged in space exploration today?

“‘My Battery Is Low and It’s Getting Dark’: Mars Rover Opportunity’s Last Message to Scientists” – This news article (ABC/AP) is about the 2019 death of the rover Opportunity following a severe dust storm on Mars and NASA scientists’ reaction to its loss. The article includes a link to a playlist used to try to wake the rover in “what amounted to a funeral,” according to the piece.

2. What can be done to prepare crews for the danger and hardships of space travel?

Teaching Suggestion: Invite students to reflect that space explorers can be as well-trained and prepared as possible, but due to the nature of space travel, the ability to get outside help is severely limited or nonexistent.