Obviously, one of the key aspects of the Mission to Mars unit is to have students think deeply about a topic. One mechanism that has been successful with other researchers (like Brown and Campione) has been the incorporation of a Consequential Task. Everyone is held responsible for the entire knowledge unit (successfully planning a trip tp Mars, in the broadest sense) through the requirement that each research cycle end with an activity that demands deep understanding of all aspects of the unit. In the Mission to Mars unit, we use a number of tasks: traditional tests at certain points of the unit incorporating multiple choice, essay and/or matching and two long term projects that tap knowledge from other aspects of the curriculum, e.g., a model rocket launch, the Feasability Study. These consequential tasks bring the research cycle to an end, encourage students to share knowledge across groups, and also serve as opportunities for students to reflect and revise their previous work.