LITERATURE SELECTIONS
JASON literature selections, in conjunction with JASON’s other language arts components, align well with the language arts requirements of most schools and the national standards for the English language arts. Several titles have been selected to enhance the Expedition curriculum.
IMPORTANT: The reading level information given here is intended as an initial guide. Before assigning reading to your class, be sure to preview the selection to determine. A complete reading by you is the best way of deciding whether reading level and subject matter are appropriate for your students.
For Primary Grades
Mission to Mars by Franklyn Branley with Forward by N. Armstrong
Readers imagine themselves as crew members on the first manned mission to Mars. Once on the planet’s surface, they drill for water, watch for dust storms, experience light gravity and severe cold, and, of course, explore this new world.
ISBN: 0-06-029808-1 Publisher: HarperCollins, 2002
AR Level: 4.7; AR Interest Level: LG
For Younger Readers
One Day in the Desert by Jean Craighead George*
A wounded mountain lion makes his way from his mountain habitat to a Papago Indian hut in Arizona’s Sonoran desert during a record-breaking July day. A young Papago Indian girl, her mother, and an array of desert animals play out the drama of a blistering heat wave, a violent cloudburst, and a flash flood. Story includes vivid descriptions of desert ecology.
ISBN: 0-06-442038-8 Publisher: HarperTrophy, 1983
AR Level: 5.5; AR Interest Level: MG
For Main JASON Audience
Mars Year One Trilogy by Brad Strickland and Thomas E. Fuller
The Mars Year One series follows the lives and experiences of twenty teenagers (the Asimov Project) who join Marsport colonists in the hostile environment of Mars. The Asimov Project teens soon learn that Mars has a millions ways to kill them. Can Marsport survive and become self-sufficient?
Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks, 2004-2005
AR Level: 5.3-5.8; AR Interest Level: MG
• Match for Unit 1
Mars Year One: Marooned!*
After a difficult childhood on Earth, fifteen-year old Sean joins his foster mother as an Asimov Project teen on Mars. It soon becomes evident that each Marsport member is part of a team effort for survival. As conditions on Earth deteriorate, colonists must decide whether to return to Earth or stay.
ISBN: 0-689-86400-0
• Match for Unit 2
Mars Year One: Missing!*
Landslides, a deadly climate, dwindling water supplies, and the unpredictable weather on Mars make survival nearly impossible for the colonists of Marsport. Despite orders not to remain at Marsport, Teen Leader Sean assembles a search party to save water pipeline workers who are isolated and lost during a fierce storm.
ISBN: 0-689-86401-9
• Match for Unit 3
Mars Year One: Marsquake!*
While racing to complete its deep-drilling project to tap Olympus Mons geothermal energy, a quake strikes, damaging Marsport. As colonists scramble to repair the damage and save vital food sources, a team sets out to determine if lava tubes could serve as emergency shelters. The team is surprised to learn that the lava tubes provide unexpected water and life form clues.
ISBN: 0-689-86402-7
Social Studies/History Connection & Classic Literature
The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells* This story appeared at the turn of the 20th century, when the existence of intelligent life on Mars was believed to be entirely possible. The story describes a twelve-day siege in which Martian invaders land on Earth and set about destroying everything in their path. Wells’ narrative captured popular imagination and pioneered the alien invaders subset of the science- fiction genre.
AR Level: 2.9-9.1; AR Interest Level: MG-UG
Available in many versions to match various reading and interest levels.
For Advanced Mature Readers
Robot Visions by Isaac Asimov*
This collection of 18 stories is by an author whose name is synonymous with the science and literature of “robotics,” a term that he created. The book also includes several essays by Asimov that address how he sees robots in the future, how he conceived of robots in past stories, and what issues he believes will surround robotics as we move to the future.
AR Level: 7.0; AR Interest Level: UG
ISBN: 0-451-45064-7 Publisher: Roc, 1991
Teacher and Classroom Resources
The Mystery of Mars by Sally Ride & Tam O’Shaughnessy
Former astronaut Sally Ride and science teacher Tam O'Shaughnessy explore the central question of how two very different planets evolved so differently from a common beginning. They also discuss the possibility that Mars may have supported life at one time. Aerial and surface photos along withas well as artists’ renderings provide stunning visuals.
ISBN: 0-517-70971-6 Publisher: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1999
AR Level: 7.5; AR Interest Level: MG
A Traveler’s Guide to Mars by William Hartman
Hartmann, who participated in the Mars Global Surveyor mission, provides a thorough overview of the planet, uses photos and data collected by scientists in decades of research to give a thorough overview of the planet. The most exciting topic is about water--whether it ever flowed on Mars, where it may have gone, why it's hard to find. Sidebars, maps, and chronologies help keep the regions and geology of Mars organized.
ISBN: 0-7611-2606-6 Publisher: Workman Publishing, 2003
The Real Mars by Michael Hanlon and Jim Garvin
In January 2004, two NASA rovers "Spirit" and "Opportunity" landed separately on the rocky surface of Mars, and thus began their historic work of the twin exploration. Illustrated in color, with spectacular orbital and surface images, The Real Mars relates the history of a planet humans have long been curious about, one that has piqued human curiosity for centuries, with often confusing evidence of Earthlike possibilities. This book emphasizes that we actually still stand at the beginning of a transformative voyage.
ISBN: 0-7867-1413-1 Publisher: Carroll & Graf, 2004
Accelerated Reading (AR) Source
www.renlearning.com. Grade levels: Lower, Middle, and Upper
Students can demonstrate analysis, synthesis, and evaluation skills by participating in Novel Message Boards and chats with authors and other students. Log onto Team JASON Online and click on Chats for schedule details.
*An informational packet for these selections appears on Team JASON Online. Packets include activity and research ideas relating the literature selection to each Unit in the Expedition. Once you are registered on Team JASON Online, select the Resources link on the home page and navigate to the Literature materials provided there.
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