What Makes a Rover?

WHAT MAKES A ROVER? HOW DO SCIENTISTS USE

THEM TO DISCOVER FAR AWAY PLACES?
Use this activity guide to explore rovers that humans
have built, then design one of your own to explore a
location in the solar system!

HOW DOES IT WORK? SKILLS

Complete the activities in this guide to research, design, build, and test  Asking Questions
your own rovers! Use the instructions on the following pages to  Developing and Using
guide your research and design process. Directions for each activity Models
 Planning and Carrying out
are on the following pages: Rover Research (pages 2-3), Design Investigations
Challenge: Rovers (pages 4-5), Rover Races (page 6).  Analyzing and Interpreting
Data
 Obtaining, Evaluating, and
Communicating Information

CONCEPTS
 Cause and Effect
 Structure and Function

STANDARDS
More information regarding
the NGSS standards of this
activity is available at the end
of this guide (page 9).

WHAT’S A ROVER? Stay Connected!

When humans want to learn about other planets or objects in the solar Be sure to share your
system, they can use tools like telescopes, satellites, and rovers. A research, designs, and
rover is a small, mobile robot that scientists send to moons and planets prototypes with us online
to land on their surfaces and explore. Rovers can take pictures and by tagging
collect information about the planet by taking temperature readings, @chabotspace, or using
rock, and soil samples. The rovers then send this information back to the hashtags
scientists on earth through radio signals. Rovers can help scientists learn #ChabotRovers and
about faraway places without having to send people to space, which #LearningLaunchpad
can be tricky!
ROVER RESEARCH

NASA uses rovers to explore other places in our solar system. Research some of
NASA’s past missions to learn about what rovers have in common, and how they can
be different. Is NASA planning to send any rovers to space in the future?

MATERIALS NEEDED

 A computer with internet access OR a few books

about NASA rovers
 TIP! Check out your local library in person or online
to see what books they have about rovers! Some
suggested resources are listed below.
 Pen or pencil
 Research Log (page 7), or piece of paper

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Get online! Open a web browser.
2. Check out some of the following websites:
 NASA’s Space Place: Rovers (https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/mars-rovers/en/)
 NASA Science: Mars Exploration Program (https://mars.nasa.gov/#)
3. Pull out some books! Some titles are recommended below:
 Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover Markus Motum
 The Mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit & Opportunity Elizabeth Rusch
 Exploring Space: From Galileo to the Mars Rovers and Beyond Martin Jenkins & Stephen
Bietsy
 Red Rover: Curiosity on Mars Richard Ho & Katherine Roy
4. Use the books and websites above to help you answer the questions in your research log. TIP! The
resources listed are great to get you started, but feel free to use other books and websites too.

FOR GROWN UPS – ROVER CHEAT SHEET

NASA has sent rovers to many different places in the solar system. The first rovers NASA used were the
Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicles. The first astronauts used these rovers to explore the surface of the moon.
The astronauts drove the rovers around like a car, which allowed them to explore even more of the moon.
These rovers were also nicknamed “Moon Buggies!”

NASA has also sent four different rovers to explore Mars (Left). The first rover was named Sojourner,
and was sent to mars in 1997. Sojourner was expected to explore mars for about a week, but ended up
lasting for almost three months! She took over 500 pictures of the surface of Mars, and collected data
about Martian wind and weather Patterns. The second and third rovers sent to Mars were Spirit and
Opportunity. These twin rovers were launched around the same time in 2004, and explored opposite
sides of the red planet. Spirit was active for 6 years, and opportunity for 14! The only rover that is active

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on Mars today is the
Curiosity rover, which
launched in 2011. It’s
collecting data on rocks,
dust, and oxygen in the
Martian atmosphere.

NASA is also planning to

launch a 5th rover to
explore Mars in the
future! This rover is named
Perseverance, and will
investigate Martian soil,
rocks, and atmosphere to
see if there is any
evidence of past life
forms on the red planet.

Most of NASA’s modern rovers have similar parts and pieces. The main part of a rover, which houses all
the vital systems is called the body of the rover. Similar to our own bodies, the body of a rover is the
base, holding all the other parts together. The body also supports solar panels, which the rover uses to
collect energy from the sun. The rover can store this energy in batteries, and use it to power its systems.
Rovers also have a complex computer system, called the brain, The brain processes data, and helps
transmit information back to Earth. A rover is able to move around on its wheels and legs. The wheels
typically have thick treads, to help the rover move more easily along uneven surfaces. Rovers also have
arms to extend their reach, which can have cameras or other tools used to collect data. Finally, rovers
have a neck and head, which holds the main camera systems higher above the ground, to give the rover
a better view.

Brain
Head & Neck

Energy
Source Body

Arm
Leg

Wheel

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DESIGN CHALLENGE: ROVERS

If you could design your own rover, where would you want it to go? What would it
look like? Complete the challenge below to sketch, label, then design your own
rover!

MATERIALS NEEDED

 Research Log (optional, page 7)  Reusable Materials:

 Pencil or Pen  Cardboard
 Design Sheet (page 8)  Construction Paper
 Scissors  Paper cups
 Tape or Glue  Toothpicks
 Markers or Crayons (to decorate)  Foil
 TIP! Suggested materials are listed to the  Straws
right, but feel free to substitute what you  Pipe Cleaners
have! There are many different ways to  Popsicle Sticks
build your rover  Egg Cartons
 Toilet Paper or Paper Towel Rolls

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Get ready to brainstorm! Use your rover research
and your imagination to answer the questions on
the design sheet.
2. On the back of your design sheet, sketch what
you’d like your rover to look like.
Optional Extension: Build a Prototype
1. Build the body of your rover.
a) TIP! You can use a variety of materials for
the body, but it should be something
sturdy that you can attach other materials
too.
2. Decorate the base! You can paint, color, or wrap your body however you’d like.
3. Build the wheels and legs of your rover. For help making a rover that rolls, follow steps (4-9)
below.
a) TIP! Materials that are round, and can roll make great wheels.
b) TIP! Straws are a helpful material if you’d like to build a rover that rolls.
4. Tape a straw, or cylinder of paper horizontally across the bottom of your rover.
5. Repeat with one, two, or three more straws/paper cylinders. Try to make them equally spaced
out on your rover.
6. Identify the materials you will be using as wheels, and as axles. The axel will hold your two
wheels together.
a) TIP! You will need the same number of axles as paper cylinders or straws, and twice the
amount of wheels.

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 7. Thread your axle material through the straws or paper cylinders underneath your rover.
8. Use tape or glue to attach the center of your wheel to one end of an axle. Make sure the axel is
still threaded through the straws on your rover!
9. Repeat so that each axle has two wheels attached to it, and is suspending on the bottom of your
rover.
10. Add the arms, neck, and head to your rover. Use glue, tape, or poke them through the body of
your rover to hold them in place.
a) TIP! Strong, skinny materials that can stand up make good arms or necks.
b) TIP! Get creative! You can add different tools to the ends of your rover arms too.
11. Add a brain, and an energy source to your rover. You can make them out of paper, cardboard,
whatever material you think works best.
12. Decorate! You can add logos, a flag, even passengers to your rover.
13. Encourage others to build their own rover too. Can they use different materials than you to build
their rover?
14. Share your rovers with us online! Tag @chabotspace on any social platform, and use the hashtags
#ChabotRovers and #LearningLaunchpad

FOR GROWN UPS – MATERIALS TIPS

There are a variety of different materials you can use to build your own rover. For the body of a rover,
cardboard, old boxes, even tin cans work well. Anything that’s sturdy and can be attached to other
pieces are great places to start while building your rovers.

For making a rover that rolls, the steps are listed above with some suggested materials, but there’s more
than one way to make wheels that spin. The key is to attach the axle of the wheels to the rover while still
allowing the axle to spin freely. A common way to do this is to use a bearing, which is a hollow support
that you can slip the axle through, then use the wheels or extra attachment to the axle to prevent it from
falling out. Straws are a great material to use as a bearing, but you can also make your own out of
paper or other materials. The bearing just needs to be wide enough for the axle to slip through. Rods,
skewers, and toothpicks make great axels - basically anything that is long and skinny and will fit through
the bearing. For wheels, anything that’s round or circular will work, like toilet paper rolls, jar lids, ping
pong balls, CDs - you can even make your own out of cardboard!

To make the arms, neck, and head of your rover, popsicle sticks, skewers, straws, pipe cleaners, or
anything that’s long, sturdy, and can stand under its own weight is recommended. You can make
attachments like robot arms, sensors, or cameras to add to your rover too out of foil, construction paper,
and other materials you might have around the house.

The above materials are recommendations to get you started, but there are many different ways of
designing a rover, so be creative with the items that you have available!

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ROVER RACES

Now that you’ve learned about and built your own rovers, it’s time to race! Use the
instructions and prompts below to build your own rover race tracks.

MATERIALS NEEDED

 (At least) one rover

 Large, flat piece of cardboard
 A stack of books
 Stopwatch or timer

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place your stack of books on an open, flat surface.
2. Lean your piece of cardboard up against the stack of books, so that it’s slanting towards the
ground.
3. Stack one more book on top of the cardboard, sandwiching it in place.
4. Race your rovers!
 Who's faster?
 Can you make adjustments to improve your speed?
5. If you only have one rover, grab a timer! Time your rover as it rolls down the ramp.
 How long did it take?
 Can you make adjustments to make your rover faster or slower?
6. Investigate what happens when you change the number of books in your stack, making your ramp
steeper or more flat.
 Does the speed of your rover change too?
TIP! Cardboard works great for ramps, but you can also substitute other materials too. Large, flat
hardcover books work well, as do the lids of storage bins, anything that’s sturdy and flat!

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ROVER RESEARCH LOG

Answer the questions below to learn more about rovers.

NASA has sent 4 rovers to Mars. Can you figure out their names, and when they were launched?

What’s the name of the next rover NASA wants to send to Mars? What do scientists hope to learn from
this new rover?

Can you label all the parts of the rover in the image below?

CHALLENGE! Can you find an example of a rover that did not go to Mars? It might be a rover from the
past!

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ROVER DESIGN SHEET

Use this sheet to help you plan and design your very own rover!
Where in the solar system do you want your rover to explore? Pick your location, and write down three
questions you have about this place that you’d want your rovers help answering.

What tools would you need to give your rover to help you answer the questions above?

Sketch your rover in the space below. Be sure to label all the parts!
BODY BRAIN LEGS WHEELS ARMS HEAD & NECK ENERGY SOURCE

Scavenger hunt! Look around the house to find materials you could use to build your rover.
 BODY  WHEELS  ENERGY SOURCE
 BRAIN  ARMS  HEAD & NECK
 LEGS  TOOLS  DECORATIONS

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NGSS STANDARDS, SKILLS, CONCEPTS

NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS (NGSS)

Completing these activities will satisfy the following NGSS standards:
 K-PS2-1: Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or
different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object.
 2-PS1-1: Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials
by their observable properties.
 2-PS1-3: Make observations to construct an evidence-based account of how an object made of a
small set of pieces can be disassembled and made into a new object.
 K-2-ETS1-2: Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of
an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.
 K-2-ETS1-3: Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to
compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.
 3-PS2-2: Make observations and measurements of an objects motion to provide evidence that a
pattern can be used to predict future motion.
 3-5-ETS1-2: Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well
each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
 3-5-ETS1-3: Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are
considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

NGSS: PRACTICES FOR K-12 CLASSROOMS

Through these activities, learners of all ages will practice skills such as:
 Asking Questions
 Developing and Using Models
 Planning and Carrying out Investigations
 Analyzing and Interpreting Data
 Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

NGSS: CROSS CUTTING CONCEPTS

Completing these activities will help learners understand the following about cross cutting concepts:
 Cause and Effect: cause and effect relationships are routinely identified and used to explain
change that events have causes that generate observable patterns.
 Structure and Function: the shape and stability of structures of natural and designed objects are
related to their function(s).

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