Extraterrestrial Atmospheres -- Mars: Print Resources
This is a collection of print resources covering the Atmosphere of Mars. A separate collection of Electronic Resources is also available.
Below are outstanding and recommended titles by the National Science Teachers Association that fit this year’s theme for National Chemistry Week. Descriptions are based on reviews from the NSTA web site.
Key: E = Elementary (K–5), I = Intermediate (6–8), HS = High School (9–12), C = College, G = General Public
- Backpack Books: 1001 Facts About Space. Carole Stott. NY: Dorling Kindersley, 2002. 192pp. ISBN 0-7894-8450-1. (I, HS)
- This paperback is packed with information about space science. It is encyclopedic in nature, listing
facts without theory or explanation. It is organized by topics, including the universe, galaxies, stars,
space from Earth, and the solar system and planets. There are also some unusual topics, including small
objects, studying space, 21st century missions, optical technology, and space history. The book is
copiously illustrated with accurate and detailed drawings and colorful photographs. While it does not
present detailed theory or explanation, enough information is presented to inform, intrigue, and
generate a number of questions. It can be used to fill spare minutes in a classroom or provide a source
for research for elementary, middle school, and even secondary students.
Source: NSTA recommends - Destination: Mars (Revised and Updated Edition). Seymour Simon. NY: Harper Collins, 2000. 32pp. ISBN 0-688-15770-X. (I)
- Imagine a world where the air is always dusty and red, the temperature is colder than a deep freeze
both day and night, and the atmospheric pressure is so low your blood would boil! Welcome to the
planet Mars! In this revised and updated edition, the latest photographs, discoveries, and inferences
about Mars are presented. This book is readable, understandable, informational, factual, and
fascinating. It will capture the full attention of any third, fourth, or fifth grader even though the
reading is technical and falls into the eighth grade range. The large type and full color photographs
add impact and help when the reading level becomes too steep. Teachers will appreciate how the
relationships between collecting data, publishing facts, drawing conclusions, and making inferences
about the planet Mars are made clear to young readers. The most recent discoveries and the incredible
machines involved in uncovering the mysteries of Mars are explained, along with a timeline for future
explorations. This book is a must-have for any student who needs information on the planets or is just
plain interested in space.
Source: NSTA recommends - Future Missions to Mars. John Hamilton. Edina, MN: Abdo & Daughters, 1998. 32pp. ISBN 1-5623-9832-6. (I)
- Describes a series of missions, beginning in 1996 and continuing into the first part of the next century,
designed to bring back data about the surface features, atmosphere, and magnetic properties of Mars.
Source: OCLC WorldCatalog - The Kingfisher Young People’s Book of Space. Martin Fedfern. NY: Kingfisher, 1998. 96pp. ISBN 0-7534-5136-0. (I)
- This overview of the subject starts with an up-to-date report of observations and explorations of our
solar system and ends with a description of our place in space and time in the universe. The book’s
layout, with outstanding pictures and text, complements this engaging journey through our space. Glossary.
Index.
Source: NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children in 1999 - Mars. Larry D. Brimner. NY: Children’s Press, 1998. 47pp. ISBN 0-5162-0618-4. (E, I)
- Simple facts about the Red Planet such as its orbit, atmosphere, and terrain, as well as the outcomes
of explorations such as the Pathfinder Mission.
Source: OCLC WorldCatalog - Mars. James A. Corrick. NY: F. Watts, 1991. 128pp. ISBN 0-5311-2528-9. (I)
- Describes the atmosphere and surface of Mars, including recent findings from NASA space probes, and
surveys the history of our attempts to discover more about this planet.
Source: OCLC WorldCatalog - Mars. Robin Kerrod. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner, 2000. 32pp. ISBN 0-8225-3906-3. (E, I)
- Mars is one in a series of 10 books written by Robin Kerrod, a prolific author, astronomer, and
Fellow of England’s Royal Astronomical Society. It provides a level of content that is unique
for the elementary level. Seven chapters of text are enhanced with a glossary, an index, and
surface-feature photos. This book is appropriate for independent readers in grades three through
six, and little background is necessary to enjoy the book. The book’s strongest feature is
its easy-to-read layout. The text is free of gender, class, cultural, and racial bias and
incorporates language and explanations with analogies appropriate for intermediate-age students.
Because the field of astronomy is changing so quickly, teachers will want to supplement this basic
text with the latest information from NASA. This book will make an excellent reference resource or
text for independent reading. The explanations are appropriate and make sense.
Source: NSTA recommends - Mars (Revised and Updated Edition). Steven L. Kipp. Mankato, Minn.: Bridgestone Books, 2000. 24pp. ISBN 0-7368-0520-6. (E, I)
- Contents: Mars and the solar system — Fast facts — The planet mars — Canals —
Atmosphere — Revolution and rotation — Moons — On Mars — Space probes —
Recent and future missions — Hands on: Make martian sand — Words to know — Read more
— Useful addresses — Internet sites — Index.; Discusses the surface features,
atmosphere, exploration, and other aspects of the planet Mars.
Source: OCLC WorldCatalog - Mars. Elaine Landau. NY: F. Watts, 1991. 63pp. ISBN 0-5312-0012-4. (I)
- Uses photographs and other recent findings to describe the atmosphere and geographic features of Mars.
Source: OCLC WorldCatalog - Mars: The Fourth Planet. Michael D. Cole. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers, 2002. 48pp. ISBN 0-7660-1949-7. (I)
- This concise, informative book is suitable for upper elementary through middle school. The author
follows the journey of the Pathfinder that traveled to Mars in l997. With the help of the Sojourner
rover, this mission gave scientists a great deal of information about Mars. Actual photographs of
Mars taken by a variety of probes will support the reader’s own discoveries about the surface
of Mars. A connection between science and history that illustrates how sensational ideas and
“bad science” can influence what people believe — the existence of Martians, alien
invaders, and “little green men” are based on conjectures made by Percival Lowell about
Mars in the late 1890s. Lowell theorized that advanced beings had built what he thought were canals
seen through his primitive telescope. A short glossary and chapter notes make it a good research
source. The author does an excellent job of comparing Mars with the other planets, and includes a
center double page of interesting Martian facts. The book also addresses the challenge of getting a
manned spacecraft to Mars, what it would be like for astronauts to live on Mars, and what we would
hope to learn from visiting Mars.
Source: NSTA recommends - Mission to Mars. Franklyn M. Branley. NY: Harper Collins, 2002. 40pp. ISBN 0-06029-807-3. (E)
- This book shows us how we might travel to Mars, how we might explore the planet, and where we would
stay. It is the perfect book to enhance teaching or researching about Mars. Written for children in
the primary grades, this book uses children’s natural enthusiasm to support informational
reading. It is loaded with facts about Mars, including new knowledge from the thousands of pictures
scientists have taken of the planet. The author includes a website to find out more about research on
Mars and the Mars mission. There are also activities at the end of the book for extending the reading.
Source: NSTA recommends - The New Book of Mars. Nigel Hawkes. Brookfield, CT: Copper Beech/Millbrook, 1998. 32pp. ISBN 0-7613-0811-3. (I)
- Good information and format, coupled with outstanding artwork, make this an excellent overview of
Mars and of our investigations and speculations about this planet. The Mariner, Mars Pathfinder, and
Surveyor ’98 missions, as well as planned future explorations, are well described. Glossary. Index.
Source: NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children in 1999 - The Reader’s Digest Children’s Atlas of the Universe. Robert Burnham. Pleasantville, NY: Reader’s Digest Children’s Books, 2000. 128pp. Library ISBN 1-57584-379-X. (I)
- Beautiful illustrations and a strong layout create an eye-catching, informative reference. This atlas
visits the planets in our solar system as well as asteroids, comets, and meteors before proceeding to the
stars and galaxies of deep space. Suggested activities for the reader encourage hands-on exploration of
the concepts presented. Glossary, Index, Universe Fact File (includes facts on our solar system and other
celestial objects, astrological and technological events, timeline of astronomy, and universal records).
Source: NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12 for 2001
Copyright © 2003 American Chemical Society