WHAT IS FRONTIER?

FRONTIER is a single-semester, 9-week biological experiment geared towards high school students. This project challenges students to design and execute an experiment to investigate how we can one day pioneer and sustain life on Mars – our new frontier. Using Mojave Mars Simulant, students plant and grow indoor crops to gather data and observations to support a hypothesis.At the end of the project, students will present their findings to their community. FRONTIER truly puts the “stem” in STEM education.

FRONTIER is offered in both Fall and Spring semesters in two 9-week sessions each semester – each semester has the same content and their own competition.

FRONTIER is a free STEM outreach program based at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH).

WHAT DO YOU GET?

Provided: Online lessons, planting materials, 3-4 engagements with UAH personnel (virtual/in-person), & email support.

Topics Addressed: Life science, scientific reasoning, experimentation, planetary science & mars exploration, environmental impact & agriculture.

Grade Level: 9th-11th

Project Length: 9-11 weeks, ~50 minutes per week, same content for both Fall/Spring.