Mars Patel is the Peabody Award-winning, scripted podcast for middle-grade kids that has thrilled families around the world.
- Genres
-
- Adventure
- Mystery
- Science Fiction
- Themes
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- Bravery
- Coming-of-Age
- Deception
- Existence
- Family
- Governance
- Loss
- Loyalty
- Meaning
- Society
- Teamwork
- Episodes
- 30
- Avg. length
- 15-25 minutes
- Total
- 9 hours
Synopsis (3 Seasons)
At first, when Mars Patel’s crush, Aurora, seemed to drop off the face of the earth five days ago, he couldn’t get anyone to care. That is, until his best friend, Jonas, disappeared too during a Code Red at H.G. Wells Middle School, and sparked Caddie, Toothpick and JP, to join Mars in a bold and risky search for their missing pals. But everytime they seem to draw closer to answers, deeper mysteries are revealed – all leading to Oliver Pruitt, the visionary billionaire who just may have plans bigger than any of them could have dreamed.
At the end of Season One, we learn that Oliver Pruitt is sending Mars to the Planet Mars, and that he’ll be joining other kids who have preceded him, perhaps including his crush, Aurora. The season Two adventure introduces a new cast of characters, some of whom are more rivals than allies. Will Mars be able to win them over? What will he do when his friends return in a surprising way? And as Mars and other young “settlers” wrestle with the hostility of life on the Red Planet, what will be the biggest mystery to date, one which will shock Mars to the core and upend his life and identity?
It all comes down to Season Three – the planet, existence, even reality. What has been behind Oliver Pruitt’s grand, ludicrous plan to train kids to settle the planet Mars – sometimes against their will. And is Mars Patel really Pruitt’s son? The journey back to planet earth is only the beginning. Once Mars and his friends arrive, they’ll find what they’ve always wished for – what, in fact, many kids wish for.
The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel is a high-quality serial mystery story has been widely adopted in 3rd to 5th and 6th to 8th grade level classrooms as part of an ELA curriculum. Think Goonies meets Spy Kids meets Stranger Things. The visionary billionaire Oliver Pruitt invites students listening to his podcast to join Mars and his friends as they try to unwrap the mysteries within mysteries. In Season Two, the new setting and journey will springboard students into deep and long lasting discussions of big ideas, related topics and powerful themes that will align with the ELA curriculum. Season 3 leans into issues and themes of personal agency and responsibility, and encourages students to ask and answer big questions at the heart of their coming-of-age journeys.
Read along with the script of episode one here.
Buy the scripts for the entire series here.
To listen to Mars Patel with captions visit our YouTube Page
Here is a handy link to a PDF of Standards associated with Mars Patel classroom engagement.
Classroom Resources
Hey Educators! You’re excited to use The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel in class, and maybe you’re asking yourself where do I start or what’s the best way to listen? The answer is that thousands of teachers across the United States and Canada use GZM Shows podcasts in dozens of different ways for multiple grade levels, classroom-wide, for breakout groups, to reward learning, and as homework. Below, you’ll find customized materials that support a flexible and powerful staged approach to engaging with Mars Patel. And they’re free!
Season One
The Listening Guide offers a simple and effective way to guide your students through themes of story and character development, help guide their search for clues and evidence, and encourage their development of bigger ideas.
The Explore Board is a resource for students both before they start listening to the podcast and while listening. The Explore Board resource introduces students to concepts, themes and topics of the podcast and helps them hone skills for deeper learning engagement with the podcast. Customizable for your classroom with Workflow Instructions in Video and PDF formats.
The Choice Board is a resource for students to use after they have finished listening to the podcast. The Choice Board takes a deeper dive into major themes, concepts and topics introduced in the podcast. The Choice Board features a combination of anchor assignments and lighter exercises, so you’ll find helpful direction and support for every student. Customizable for your classroom with Workflow Instructions in Video and PDF formats.
