The catalyst for this interdisciplinary unit is a discussion about sustainability on Earth, the ways humans contribute to our planet’s destruction, and how life might be different in 100 years.
Within learning groups, students must decide where in the solar system their new human settlement will be located. Students will gain an understanding of the features of our solar system aligning with Science curricular outcomes (Alberta Education, 1996) and gain an understanding of the conditions required to sustain life.
Students decide the form of democratic decision making their settlement will employ, and design a Charter of Rights and Responsibilities for their citizens. The main objective for this activity is for students to understand the forms of democracy in Canada as well as learn to live and make decisions democratically as ethical and engaged citizens (Alberta Education, 2013).
The new settlement culture is determined by designing flags, anthems, currency, language, religion and cuisine. Students investigate what culture means, and how cultures may differ from each other. This activity also incorporates and values home knowledge of all students and can help ELL students connect to the project through their first languages.
Blueprints are developed for the physical living space of the new settlement. The engineering design process and the incorporation of architects as real world experts helps to authentically integrate mathematics and arts into this interdisciplinary unit.
Students develop a digital media proposal that includes all the previous activities and compels Earth citizens to choose their settlement. Students actively utilize technology and are encouraged to produce creative and innovative responses to their interdisciplinary investigations (Strober, 2009).