This science course focuses on space sciences and is designed to start students thinking about the future and their roles in it. The issues of how technology impacts family relationships, nuclear war, death, overpopulation, and society as whole are explored. This course is centered around key concepts presented in Mars Rising, a HD Science series from the science channel. Students will create their own 3D Mars colony based on key concepts presented.

This course exposes students to many possibilities for life in the future and encourages students to invent new solutions for existing problems related to our future such as: using anti-gravity devices for travel on earth, time travel, new sources of energy and how to improve our environment. Most importantly, students become more aware of the present and how what we are doing right now will affect all our futures.

Students participate in creating an immersive 3D Mars colony world based on the research topics covered in the course . Students also design new anti-gravity devices and demonstrate them in Wiloworlds, our 3D educational environment.

This course is designed to help students:

  •  Recognize and understand the nature of science and the importance of the earth and space sciences to their lives.
  •  Develop problem-solving techniques and critical thinking skills to apply the principles of earth and space sciences in order to make decisions about scientific and technological issues
  • Acquire an awareness of the potential as well as the limitations of science and technology.

The approach of the course is inquiry-based, project-oriented, and student-centered, requiring students to make observations, ask questions, formulate hypotheses, design and conduct 3D experiments, and apply their knowledge to practical, real life situations.

Communication skills and use of technology are also emphasized. Therefore, a significant number of writing assignments, research projects, and 3D virtual world projects will be required.

Geology, astronomy, and meteorology are the primary earth and space sciences and these disciplines will be included in the content of the course.