Is there life on Mars?

Is there life on Mars?
By: María Alejandra Vega Hernández
School:  John F. Kennedy American School of Querétaro

It started with a simple read-aloud of Life on Mars by John Agee, a normal library day. Kids were tired from the long day. Wondering if the soccer coach would take them to the field, or if they would just practice in the kindergarten playground. Will their mom come pick them up, or will it be their grandma? As we explored the story and discussed what makes something a living thing (a rock? my unicorn?), they began to connect it to everything they had learned in Kindergarten 2. An idea started to form… was there life beyond Earth?  Their questions were endless…What would an alien look like? Where would it live? Would it have friends? A mom and Dad? 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…we are off! I decided to follow their curiosity.

What began as a simple drawing activity, creating their own alien character, grew into a full storytelling journey. Each student designed a character, gave it a home, what it would eat, and imagined a small problem their alien might face. Together, we explored how stories have a beginning, middle, and end, and how characters solve problems. We explored story elements such as characters, title, and setting, and what a good story should contain. 

What stood out the most was the level of ownership. Every story was different, every idea uniquely theirs. Some aliens took over Earth; others felt lonely; and a few created dramatic endings in which Earth and all humanity didn’t quite survive.  As they shared their ideas, they listened to each other, built confidence, and began to see themselves as authors.

To bring it all together, we “published” our stories and displayed them at our Imagination Museum, which was the culmination of our unit of inquiry, “How We Express Ourselves”. This moment transformed their work into something real. They weren’t just completing an activity; they were sharing their imagination and creations with an audience.

This experience also pushed me to reflect on how I can intentionally integrate technology in meaningful ways. Using the SAMR Model as a guide, I realized that while last year focused on creativity and storytelling, this year offers an opportunity to move toward modification and redefinition. We plan to incorporate 3D printing, allowing students to bring their characters into the real world. By transforming their ideas into tangible objects, students will not only deepen their engagement but also experience how their imagination can extend beyond paper into creation.

This experience reminded me that being “Future Ready” doesn’t always mean adding more technology; it means using it with purpose. When curiosity leads, and students are given the tools and time to create, learning becomes powerful, meaningful, and lasting.