Common Core State Standard L.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: Video of a current news event is presented for discussion to encourage student participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the video. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.
07/14/2025
Martian meteorite could fetch up to $4 million
A 54-pound Martian meteorite — the largest known piece of Mars ever found on Earth — is up for auction this week at a Sotheby’s auction in New York. Designated NWA 16788, this monumental rock was discovered in the Sahara Desert in 2023 and is approximately 70 percent larger than any other verified fragment from the Red Planet. It was blasted off Mars by a powerful asteroid impact billions of years ago and was scorched during its descent through Earth’s atmosphere. It was expected to sell for up to $4 million.
■Class discussion: Would owning the biggest chunk of Mars be worth $4 million? The largest diamond gemstone ever found weighed about 1.37 pounds and was cut into stones worth up to $2 billion. Which are much rarer diamonds or Martian meteorites? The largest meteorite ever found on Earth weighed 130,000 pounds. Where do most of these meteorites originate? Why do asteroids and comets in our solar system keep crashing into planets, the sun, and each other? What is the most visible object in the sky created from a violent collision?
