B. Remaining Sol deficit before Ares 4 (Sol 1412):

2. Potato Crop Proportions: Arable area = \(92\text{ m}^2\). Yield = \(1.6\text{ kg/m}^2\) per 70-Sol harvest. Energy = \(770\text{ kcal/kg}\).

A. Total harvest yield (kg) per cycle:

B. Total calories produced per cycle:

E

CER Synthesis: Botany vs. Engineering (RI.8.1, WHST.8.2)

Prompt: Mark Watney is both a botanist and a mechanical engineer. Which skillset proved more critical to his initial survival on Sols 1–71? State a Claim, support with text Evidence, and provide scientific/engineering Reasoning.

Penguin Random House Novel Study Alignment • Ch. 1–7 Page 2 of 2

2. Humor as Defense: By framing lethal threats with irony and sarcasm, Watney demystifies fear, prevents panic-induced paralysis, and maintains cognitive control over high-stress variables.

PART C: Scientific Inquiry Cycle & Explosion

Watney accounted for Hab room atmosphere but forgot that his exhaled breath enriched the air with oxygen. The resulting excess \(O_2\) caused an exothermic deflagration. Key lesson: The scientific method requires constant feedback loops; unexpected results are data points, not failures.

PART D: Caloric Math Step-by-Step Solutions

1A. Sols of Rations at 1,500 kcal:

\(\text{Total kcal} = 300 \times 3,000 = 900,000\text{ kcal}\)

\(\text{Sols} = 900,000 \div 1,500 = \mathbf{600\text{ \textbf{Sols}}}\)

1B. Deficit Until Sol 1412:

\(\text{Deficit} = 1412 - 600 = \mathbf{812\text{ \textbf{Sols}}}\)

Must cultivate food for 812 Sols.

2A. Total Harvest Yield:

\(\text{Yield} = 92\text{ m}^2 \times 1.6\text{ kg/m}^2 = \mathbf{147.2\text{ \textbf{kg}}}\)

2B. Calories per 70-Sol Harvest:

\(\text{Cal} = 147.2\text{ kg} \times 770 = \mathbf{113,344\text{ \textbf{kcal}}}\)

Provides \(\approx 75.5\) Sols of 1,500 kcal rations.

PART E: CER Grading Criteria (4-Point Scale)

• Claim (1 pt): Clear stance choosing botany or engineering (or arguing their interdependence).
• Evidence (2 pts): Cites specific events (e.g. soil inoculation, hydrazine catalyst plumbing, atmospheric regulator).
• Reasoning (1 pt): Connects evidence to biological/physical survival necessity.

Penguin Random House Teacher Master • Ch. 1–7 Page 2 of 2

57   45   4C   43   4F   4D   45   20   4D   41   52   4B

Decoded English Message:

Encode Your Own Mission Signal:

Encode the message "HOW ALIVE" into 2-digit Hex bytes using the table above:

Ares 3 Telemetry Protocol • Ch. 8–15 Page 1 of 2

Ares 3 STEM Novel Study • Physics & Math

RTG HEAT & ROVER RANGE MODELING

GRADE 8 STEM LAB

Student: __________________________

Trek: Acidalia to Schiaparelli (\(3,200\text{ km}\))

D

Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) Physics

To survive the freezing Martian exterior (\(-60^\circ\text{C}\)), Watney excavates the Ares 3 RTG containing 2.6 kg of radioactive Plutonium-238 (\(^{238}\text{Pu}\)).

Thermal Balance Equation

The RTG continuously emits 1,600 Watts of thermal heat and 100 Watts of electrical power from alpha decay.

Question: Why does placing the RTG inside the rover cabin save enormous battery life compared to using the rover's built-in electric heating resistors?

E

Linear Modeling: Rover Range & Solar Recharging (8.EE.B.5)

The modified rover has a total battery capacity of 36 kWh (kilowatt-hours). Driving consumes 0.4 kWh per kilometer. Solar panels recharge the rover at a rate of 1.8 kWh per daylight hour.

1. Max driving range on a full battery without heating drain:

2. Daylight hours needed to recharge an empty 36 kWh battery:

3. Formulate a Linear Equation for remaining battery charge \(B(d)\) after driving \(d\) kilometers starting from 36 kWh:

Ares 3 Telemetry Protocol • Ch. 8–15 Page 2 of 2

• Step 3 (Total Sol Duration): \(36 + 35 = \mathbf{71\text{ \textbf{Sols}}}\) (Accept 71 to 72 Sols with work shown).

Part 3: Scientific Short Response Rubric (10 pts)

Exemplar Key: When Airlock 1 breached, the Hab instantly depressurized to near-vacuum (600 Pa) and temperatures plummeted to \(-60^\circ\text{C}\). Water in the living soil flash-evaporated and froze. The severe cold and vacuum lysed the cellular membranes of the active nitrifying bacteria colonies, completely sterilizing the soil biome. Without living bacteria to regenerate nutrients, replanting was biologically impossible.

Point Distribution:

• 4 pts: Identifies atmospheric decompression and sub-zero temperature drop.

• 4 pts: Explains bacterial cell wall rupture/freezing of the soil microbiome.

• 2 pts: Connects soil sterility to permanent loss of future crop cycles.

Ares 3 Mid-Assessment Master Page 2 of 2

Total Mass Removed: 5,000 kg

Physics Connection: Watney covers the open nose with Hab canvas. Why does this work in Martian ascent but would incinerate on Earth? (Hint: compare Martian surface air density to Earth).

D

Newton's 3rd Law: The EVA Intercept

When Watney cuts his flight suit glove to generate thrust, explain the action-reaction force pair (\(F_{\text{gas}} = -F_{\text{astronaut}}\)) and why Commander Lewis strictly warns him about vectors and rotational spin:

Ares 3 Orbital Protocol • Ch. 19–26 Page 2 of 2

UNIT PERFORMANCE SUMMARY TOTAL: 100 POINTS

• Sol Log Packet: ___/30

• Pathfinder Lab: ___/20

• Telemetry Quiz: ___/25

• MAV & Socratic: ___/25

Ares 3 Educator Master • Rubric Page 2 of 2