Although the Curiosity Camhttp://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl is offline (last year we viewed the rover being built)- there is a news conference that discusses the project.

Rover design challenge:

Build a Mars rover with a gear train that allows for increased torque and slower movement.  Program the rover to move forward and back in steps.  Check that the rover design allows the rover to move about terrain without getting stuck.  Students will explore gears and gear ratios and learn simple robot programming of motors.  The best rover will be used for future programs and missions.