About
There are two separate components to this module:
- a guide for teachers, to teach in classrooms
and, - an opportunity for students to get involved with the mapping themselves
Though the Community Science Liaison team won’t always be able to visit your school, we are happy to arrange an online session to explain the work in further detail and go over anything that needs clarifying.
Aims: For Teachers
The Venus Module seeks to engage students and work towards answering the following questions:
- Can the geology on Earth be used as a proxy for the geology on Venus?
- Which geological features (if any) can be found on Venus?
- Which technologies and techniques are used to map Venus (and other celestial bodies)?
These place- and curriculum-based activities engage students by getting them interested in the geology of where they live, their province, their country, as well as on Earth, and comparing their findings to what is found on Venus. It will also help them learn about the geological history of the Earth whilst doing so.
One of the expected outcomes is for students to develop their own pride of place while illustrating the uniqueness of where they live.
Aims: for those wanting to map
- Map a section of Venus and join the global community whilst doing so
- It’s an opportunity to learn and use GIS software, liaise with people at different stages of their career and to potentially travel
- Skills learnt during this process will be transferrable if you wish to pursue a degree or a career path in geology or a related discipline
Teacher Guide
* Please bear with us as content is being prepared *
Getting Involved as a Student
If you’re interested in planets, space, mapping, geology, and GIS software, then mapping Venus could be the perfect opportunity for you. You can join the global program, International Venus Research Group (IVRG, based in Carleton University, Canada) and get involved with mapping your own section of Venus! At MRU, we are involved with mapping the Henie quadrant.
The skills you learn here will be easily transferrable if you choose to choose geology, or a related discipline, at university. Getting involved can also mean you attend conferences in different parts of the world, such as Morocco and Texas, and you will also liaise with people at different stages of their careers, making it a great networking opportunity.
Here are some testimonials from students who are, were or have been, involved with the MRU mapping Venus project:
“I had no prior knowledge before starting this. It’s a good community and it’s easy to make connections with people at different stages of their career. There can also the opportunity to travel; I attended a conference in Morocco to present my findings and was able to visit a country I’d never been to before!”
Holly Bley
MRU Geology Student
“Growing up, I constantly wondered ‘are we alone? Could there be another Earth out there?’ Those questions stuck with me. Meeting Professors Richard Ernst and Katherine Boggs was a turning point—they helped me turn that childhood curiosity into real scientific work. Now, through my research on Venus, I study its ancient lava channels, the canali, to better understand the planet’s geological history and what it might tell us about other worlds.””
Jerry Demorcy
Past MRU Research Student Assistant and still involved with the project
“I always wanted to be a volcanologist, and by joining the International Venus Research Group, I’m able to study volcanoes that aren’t on Earth. I knew people who were already involved with the project, and when I got asked to join, it was a no-brainer!”
Shane Herrington
MRU Geology Student
You don’t need a geology background or be/have been taking any geology courses to get involved. You can find out more information about mapping as a student here:
If you’re interested in mapping a section of Venus, please get in touch with Katherine at kboggs@mtroyal.ca.
