Overview

Biological engineering and bio-design are burgeoning fields of research that drive advancements in domains ranging from agriculture to space travel. The BacToMars video game was designed to inspire the next generation of innovators by exposing elementary-school children (grades 2-5) to these emerging areas at the intersection of science and technology. In addition to introducing early elementary aged children to concepts of science and technology, the game was also designed to foster development of basic reading comprehension, mathematics skills, creative problem-solving, and collaboration.

To date, the elementary natural science curriculum does not include emerging domains of knowledge like biological engineering that cut across disciplinary boundaries. There is a lack of concrete tools that expose young children to abstract scientific concepts such as traits, cells, genes, and the conceptual framework of biological engineering. BacToMars was designed to expose children in primary school to cutting edge concepts at the intersection of science and engineering and to pique their children’s interest in science before stereotypes are ingrained in later years.

In this page, we provide educators and parents with additional resources regarding the content domain and learning goals of BacToMars.

Resources for Teachers

Want to learn more about the concepts presented in BacToMars? Here are some additional videos, games, and websites that can be brought to the classroom.