In this activity, students will compare their lives on Earth with a virtual experience on Mars. They will begin by using their five senses (sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste) to illustrate and describe various aspects of their lives on Earth. After similarly describing their virtual time on Mars, they will consider the biggest similarities and differences between their “time” on the two planets. They will then create a newspaper article or news report script that strives to help their audience understand what life is like in this deep-space colony.  

Take the TimePod on a journey across time and space to Mars in 2024 to help solve a series of crises as Earth begins its full colonization of the red planet. You will be helped along by ADA (Autonomous Digital Assistant), who has traveled with the TimePod across millennia. As you encounter challenges, invite your friends to help you and even remotely control the TimePod wherever they are. Episode 1-Intro Sequence will get you familiarized with the TimePod, TimeFrames and ADA, as you fix the TimePod and arrive on Mars! In Episode 2-Water students will work to discover water on the planet. Students will work through questions to help them think through how to best utilize and secure water on Mars. TimePod Adventures is an Augmented Reality app with multiplayer elements allowing multiple users to take part wherever they are through a browser.

Experiment with emerging technology through Verizon Innovative Learning Lab Online, an augmented reality experience rooted in STEM principles, with a focus on environmental sustainability. Using the app, students can learn about 3D printing, train satellites through artificial intelligence and build technological literacy by programming a self-driving rover with block coding.