Space Rover, Space Rover, Let the Gifts Come Over - University of Houston
Skip to main content

teachHOUSTON

Summer Activities

Space Rover, Space Rover, Let the Gifts Come Over

This module includes the adventures of the teachHOUSTON STEM Interactive (tHSI) Space Team as they explore the newly discovered Planet Alpha. The team has come across a new alien life form, and they need to build a device that provides transportation and helps deliver gifts to their new alien friends. Your mission is to build the transportation device while creatively using the limited resources available on Planet Alpha.

The Design Challenge

  1. Build a space rover using household materials. Be creative!
  2. Use the space rover to move and transport small items a distance of 4 feet (or more)!
  3. Create a 2-3-minute video advertising pitch of your space rover device for the University of Houston Aerospace Program.

NOTE: You will be using your rover in Week 2 for Engineering Design Process, so please hold onto it!

Chevron
This lesson is supported by funding from Chevron.

After this module you will be able to:

  • Apply the engineering design process by creating a functioning rover that can move and transport items at least 4 feet.
  • Build a pulley device that can lift a snack onto the rover.
  • Explain how efficient the device was in delivering the object by creating a 2-3-minute sales pitch for the University of Houston Aerospace Program.

SCIENCE TEKS

  • 6.3(C) Identify advantages and limitations of models such as size, scale, properties, and materials.

MATH TEKS

  • (3) Proportionality. The student applies mathematical process standards to use proportional relationships to describe dilations. The student is expected to:
    • (A) Generalize that the ratio of corresponding sides of similar shapes are proportional, including a shape and its dilation.
  • 7.6(C) Make predictions and determine solutions using experimental data for simple and compound events.

NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS - SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

  • Modeling 6-8: Use and/or develop a model of simple systems with uncertain and less predictable factors.
  • Modeling 9-12: Design a test of a model to ascertain its reliability.
  • Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions 6-8: Optimize performance of a design by prioritizing criteria, making tradeoffs, testing, revising, and retesting.

Materials

The prototype for your space rover can be built using common household materials including, but not limited to, the list presented below which provides some ideas and suggestions for materials that can be used.

Suggested Space Rover Materials

  • Cardboard body (6-inch/15-cm square recommended, not required)
  • Corrugated cardboard wheels (5-inch/13-cm square) (or CDs/DVDs)
  • Sharpened round pencil
  • Rubber bands
  • Ruler
  • Tape
  • Round hard candies (ex., Life Savers)
  • Plastic drinking straw
  • Scissors
  • Hot glue or another adhesive

Suggested Pulley Materials

  • String/yarn
  • Wheel
  • Platform to place an object on
  • Object to pulley onto the rover

Safety

Please perform the space rover device drop transportation with adult supervision. Moreover, please have an adult present for the use of any sharp objects or hot glue during the build process.

Activity

Watch the activity video below.

Dig Deeper

Read This

Did you know NASA’s newest rover, Perseverance, was named by a middle school student?

Did you know NASA’s newest rover was made to find signs of ancient life? Read more in the short fact sheet that NASA created.

Did you know Perseverance was not the only rover to come over to the red planet? Check out some of its siblings that also took a trip there.

Did you know Mars has its very own meteorologist? I wonder if it’s going to be sunny with a small chance of rain, too?

Hey, here is some information that can help pull up your knowledge about pulleys.

Try This

Did you know you can move and explore Mars with your own rover?

Did you know there are 6 major components that make up the Mars Rover? Check out this cool interactive rover to find out what they are and their functions. Also use the keyboard to move the rover around Mars.

Watch This

What is the Engineering Design Process and how can you apply it to your cool creations?

Find out firsthand what goes into building a rover from NASA Engineer Michelle Colizzi in this #AskNASA video on the Mars Rover.

Check out this short 20-minute documentary on the real engineering mechanics that went into the Perseverance rover that is currently operating on Mars.

Learn about all the different types of pulleys in this cool article and video on pulleys.

Show What You Know

Meet Our Expert

Monica Krishnan works for Chevron. She attended the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering receiving a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 2000. Monica began her career at BASF Chemicals and worked as a mechanical engineer before leaving to complete her Master of Business Administration (MBA) at UH’s Bauer College of Business. She joined Chevron after completing her MBA and has worked in various groups within Chevron, in both upstream and downstream. In her current role as Technology Deployment and Adoption Manager, she manages cross-company teams within Chevron. Her group, Chevron Technology Ventures, evaluates, develops, and commercializes emerging technologies that are expected to benefit Chevron’s base and support the energy transition. She is married and has two children. She enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering with STEM-related activities.

Meet The Teachers

Dr. Mariam Manuel

Dr. Mariam Manuel
Executive Director, teachHOUSTON STEM Interactive
Clinical Assistant Professor, teachHOUSTON, Department of Mathematics, University of Houston
Dr. Mariam Manuel is a proud graduate of the University of Houston and was part of the inaugural class of the teachHOUSTON Program during its inception in 2007. She earned her Ph.D. in STEM Education through Texas Tech University, and her research interests include STEM teacher education, engineering design education, and culturally responsive pedagogy. Dr. Manuel also teaches a course that connects middle school physics content with inquiry-driven instructional strategies and teaches graduate-level coursework in Engineering Design Education for the UH STEM Master’s Program.

Arianna Ibarra

Arianna Ibarra
Biology Teacher, South Houston High School, Pasadena Independent School District.
University of Houston, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, teachHOUSTON Alumna, Biology Major 
Arianna is a 2018 graduate of the University of Houston. She obtained her degree in biology and is also an alumna of the teachHOUSTON Program. She is currently a biology teacher at South Houston High School and is pursuing her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in STEM through Texas Tech University. This is Arianna’s fourth summer to participate in STEM camps at UH, and she is excited to work with students and teachHOUSTON undergraduates as a camp leader. In her free time, Arianna enjoys reading and building LEGO sets.

Dalton Kozak

Dalton Kozak
Mathematics Major, Physics Minor, teachHOUSTON Preservice Teacher, University of Houston, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics 
Dalton is an undergraduate student at the University of Houston. He is majoring in mathematics and minoring in physics while obtaining his teaching certification through the teachHOUSTON Program. He will student teach in Spring 2022. Dalton is on the Dean’s Distinguished Scholars List. He also does research in the mathematics department on Linear Algebra/Matrix Theory Development in Big Data and Machine Learning. He wants to go to graduate school for Theoretical Mathematics and get a Ph.D. in order to be a professor at a university. He has a particular interest in Number Theory and Complex Analysis.

Dinithi Jayasinghe

Dinithi Jayasinghe
Biotechnology Major with a concentration in Bioinformatics, teachHOUSTON Preservice Teacher, University of Houston, College of Technology 
Dinithi is an undergraduate student at the University of Houston. She is pursuing a degree in biotechnology with a concentration in bioinformatics and obtaining a teaching certificate through the teachHOUSTON Program. Dinithi would also like to attend graduate school in the future. In her spare time, she enjoys binge-watching shows across many platforms, playing piano or flute, and engaging in retail therapy.

Zaid Alqadi

Zaid Alqadi
Biology and History Double Degree, teachHOUSTON Preservice Teacher, University of Houston, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics 
Zaid is an undergraduate student at the University of Houston. He is pursuing a double degree in both biology and history while also obtaining a teaching certificate through the teachHOUSTON Program. In his spare time, Zaid likes to game on his computer, and when football season hits in September, he is rooting for his Texans.

Abhijith Asokan

Abhijith Asokan
Biochemistry Major, teachHOUSTON Preservice Teacher, University of Houston, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics 
Abhijith is an undergraduate at the University of Houston. He is currently pursuing a degree in biochemistry and obtaining a teaching certificate through the teachHouston Program. In his spare time, he likes to play some video games and binge-watch anime.

Liandra Larsen

Liandra Larsen
teachHOUSTON STEM Interactive Video Editor
Liandra is a Research Graduate Assistant for the teachHOUSTON Program. Currently, she’s pursuing her Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Houston. Her research interests include understanding how media representation of minoritized groups impacts their personal and academic success. In her spare time, she enjoys dancing, binge-watching shows on Netflix, and overspending at Target.