7th Grade Civics Takes Learning Out of This World: Colonizing Mars!

Mrs. Scarsella’s 7th-grade Civics students have taken their learning to a new frontier: Mars. As part of an immersive hands-on project, students are exploring what it would take to build a functioning community on another planet, complete with a constitution, laws, and even building codes.

Each class worked together to create its own set of building codes that future Martian builders would need to follow. And just like any real governing body, students had to navigate the process of passing inspections. This meant reviewing whether structures met safety standards, debating the purpose of certain rules, and, of course, figuring out how to interpret some very unusual requirements.

Some codes reflected realistic considerations for life on Mars, such as making sure structures were waterproof or equipped with anchors strong enough to withstand harsh Martian winds. Others brought smiles to everyone’s faces, like the code requiring every building to include a bed and spring rolls. (Comfort and snacks may be the secret to Martian happiness!)

The excitement continued as students proudly took their creations outside to test them. Their creativity and teamwork were on full display as they problem-solved, redesigned, and celebrated passing their “inspections.”

But beyond the fun and imagination, this project has meaningful academic value. It gives students a hands-on understanding of how governments create and enforce laws, how regulations shape communities, and why societies need shared rules to function safely and fairly. By experiencing the process themselves, drafting standards, debating their purpose, and facing the challenge of meeting those expectations, students gain practical insight into the civic systems they will encounter as adults.

Projects like this help students develop critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and real-world problem-solving skills. And judging by the excitement and thoughtful considerations, Mars will be in good hands. Thank you, Mrs. Scarsella, for creating such fun and meaningful projects.

Colonizing Mars '25: