Activity: Possible moon base sites
This activity guides students to choose an appropriate site on the Moon to build their moon base prototype.
Once you have named your moon base, your next mission is to decide on an appropriate location. When we look at the Full Moon in the night sky, it is possible to see features that appear as different coloured shades of grey. The large dark areas of the Moon are mostly 'maria' which is Latin for 'seas' (singular 'mare').
These areas were once thought to be bodies of water but we now know that they are flat plains. The maria formed when meteorites hit the Moon and cracked the surface. Molten lava flowed up out of the cracks and created the smooth plains. The brighter areas of the Moon are the highlands. The Moon's surface is also covered with thousands of craters caused by asteroids and meteorites colliding with the lunar surface.
What you need
- Photocopies of labelled Moon Maps here: Astroadventure Moon maps (PDF, 1.85MB)
- Find a photograph of the Moon from the Southern Hemisphere that you can use to label sites.
What to do
- Research the landing sites of all the Apollo missions that landed on the moon. The Apollo missions are: Apollo 11, Apollo 12, Apollo 14, Apollo 15, Apollo 16 and Apollo 17.
- Mark these on a blank Moon map.
Challenge questions
- Research, analyse and discuss the landing sites with your team members. Do they have anything in common? Does this information help you determine a location for your moon base?
- Once you have chosen a location, mark it on the Moon map and label it with the name of your moon base. Write down the reasons for your choice.
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