A place for innovation in teaching and learning!
NASA is preparing to send humans to an asteroid by 2025 and to land on Mars in the 2030’s. NASA has been sending robotic explorers to Mars for years with the intention of eventually sending humans there. Globally, teams of engineers, designers, inventors, scientists, and others are developing technologies and tools to help us achieve the goal of humans living and working on Mars.
Most of our building supplies come from natural resources—trees, stones, brick, adobe, etc. Unfortunately not all of the resources available are suitable for building materials. As these natural resources are being consumed, builders are beginning to question how might they use alternative materials or unusual materials to build homes within our communities.
There are millions of litres of water wasted each day in schools across North America. Think about how much water is wasted when you take a drink from a water fountain, flush a toilet, or wash your hands. A recent statistic suggests that almost 95% of the water that enters a home is wasted. We know, “783 million people worldwide do not have access to clean water. 6 to 8 million people die annually from the consequences of disasters and water-related diseases”. Clean water is related to health and wellness, and water usage directly impacts water quality and quantity.
Developers are becoming increasingly interested in designing structures that are properly suited for their environments. Structures that are not designed this way are prone to damage from catastrophic environmental events such as flooding. According to the Alberta Provincial Flood Damage Assessment Study (https://www.alberta.ca/albertacode/images/pfdas-alberta-main.pdf), damage from flooding in Alberta has cost billions of dollars over the last decade. Without proper mitigation, cities must repeatedly repair and rebuild structures in flood areas at great expense.
The study of a country’s history and evolution requires more than the memorization of dates, names and facts. Historians need to develop a deep understanding of the confounding circumstances of events, including people, places, cultures, politics, and many other factors. Coming to know why things happened the way they did is as important as knowing what happened and when. As Jill Lepore said, “The study of our history requires investigation, imagination, empathy and respect,” (The Whites of Their Eyes: The Tea Party’s Revolution and the Battle over American History, 2010).
Because of children’s natural curiosity, they begin to explore electricity by watching thunderstorms, flipping light switches on and off, and other exploratory and potentially dangerous ways. Electricity is everywhere and absolutely useful, but it also can be very dangerous and electrical accidents may occur.
Why is Maker Day important?
