Students at Westmount School in Okotoks got to explore the final frontier... Well theoretically of course!

Grade 8 and 9 science students were tasked with a big heavy project that combined their science and math curriculum into one, and topped it off with a little bit of art and creativity.

Science Teacher Christine Crane says she and their math teacher discovered a NASA Space Settlement project, and brought in into their classrooms.

"This project was about taking the concepts that they learned in their space exploration curriculum and making it authentic." Crane says "So we found this NASA aimed Space Settlement project and it ties into all of the pieces that kids have to know about space exploration, the risks, dangers and challenges and the obstacles that they have to overcome."

Crane says she had her students researching, using computer programs and online design.

"The students did a Google Sketch-up on the computer, they did another design by hand and they were researching all of the risks and challenges and also the benefits to the Canadian Space Program, and the idea of how the technology they learn up in space benefits our live's on earth. Then they had to build it."

Making research a reality proved harder then the students thought. They had to understand geometry, measurements and make it look good.

Crane says it was a totally new idea for the students.

"I think the biggest shock was building it, to be honest I don't think they've done anything like this before, not to this scale." Crane says "They had only completed the paper piece, they had done what their math teacher and I had done, so they saw it all on paper. When they had to actually make it a 3D real object - that was a shock."

Students had to take things like Oxygen regeneration, radiation, physical activity and mental stimulation into consideration before they were able to build their space station.

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