Following in the footsteps of NASA and SpaceX, our Year 8 ATL students were asked the question: how can we create a colony on Mars that can be inhabited in the next 50 years?
The end goal of this ambitious assignment was to build a model of the colony with explanations and a description of the journey there.
Our pupils also produced a guide for creating a successful colony with the justification and reasoning behind their ideas, and interviews with the inhabitants of the colony to explain their journey.
During the assignment our students had to explore the universe and solar system with an in-depth study of the Earth, phases of the Moon and Mars to create a model colony, considering social, scientific and geographic aspects of life.
We had meetings with current space scientists working in Goonhilly, Cornwall, the site of the first rocket launch into space from British (and European) soil.
The final projects amazed staff and fellow students alike. Year 8 can’t wait to share their concepts with their family and friends at the next ATL showcase event planned for March.