Students learn about the daily and annual cycles of solar angles used …
Students learn about the daily and annual cycles of solar angles used in power calculations to maximize photovoltaic power generation. They gain an overview of solar tracking systems that improve PV panel efficiency by following the sun through the sky.
Students learn about solar energy and how to calculate the amount of …
Students learn about solar energy and how to calculate the amount of solar energy available at a given location and time of day on Earth. The importance of determining incoming solar energy for solar devices is discussed.
Student teams design and build solar water heating devices that mimic those …
Student teams design and build solar water heating devices that mimic those used in residences to capture energy in the form of solar radiation and convert it to thermal energy. This thermal energy is next transferred to water (to be used as domestic hot water) in the form of heat. In doing this, students gain a better understanding of the three different types of heat transfer, each of which plays a role in the solar water heater design. Once the model devices are constructed, students perform efficiency calculations and compare designs.
Students continue their pyramid building journey, acting as engineers to determine the …
Students continue their pyramid building journey, acting as engineers to determine the appropriate wedge tool to best extract rock from a quarry and cut into pyramid blocks. Using sample materials (wax, soap, clay, foam) representing rock types that might be found in a quarry, they test a variety of wedges made from different materials and with different degrees of sharpness to determine which is most effective at cutting each type of material.
Road trip anyone? Follow along Andrew Hiltz in the southwest. The southwest …
Road trip anyone? Follow along Andrew Hiltz in the southwest.
The southwest corner of Saskatchewan is full of surprises. Beautiful landscapes abound, from the rolling hills of Grasslands National Park to the tall lodgepole pine forests of Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. There are charming cities spread throughout and friendly small towns worth stopping at along the way.
Students are given the following engineering challenge: "The invasion has taken place …
Students are given the following engineering challenge: "The invasion has taken place and we need to find a new home. To ensure your survival beyond Earth's occupation you must design a shelter that can be built on another planet." Then students research the characteristics of a planet of their choosing. They design shelter that enables them to survive on a new planet, and explain it in words to the rest of the class. This is a great activity to add to a unit on the solar system.
Spotlight on Careers is an opportunity for secondary students to explore potential …
Spotlight on Careers is an opportunity for secondary students to explore potential future career paths. Participants in a Spotlight are exposed to post-secondary opportunities, hands-on experiences, and mentorship from professionals in a specific industry.
Students analyze and begin to design a pyramid. Working in engineering teams, …
Students analyze and begin to design a pyramid. Working in engineering teams, they perform calculations to determine the area of the pyramid base, stone block volumes, and the number of blocks required for their pyramid base. They make a scaled drawing of the pyramid using graph paper.
"Our free online courses provide you with an affordable and flexible way …
"Our free online courses provide you with an affordable and flexible way to learn new skills and study new and emerging topics. Learn from Stanford instructors and industry experts at no cost to you."
These are for undergraduates but can be used for high school enrichment as well.
This 1902 heritage building located in Rosthern is a cultural hub in …
This 1902 heritage building located in Rosthern is a cultural hub in the heart of rural Saskatchewan. The former train station is now home to an art gallery, tea room and performing arts theatre.
Saskatchewan is defined by the people who call this place home. People …
Saskatchewan is defined by the people who call this place home. People are the essence of our landscape and place. In every experience, there's a story. In every story, there's a storyteller. We are emotionally connected to the land and shaped by it. Our stories are diverse and we are always happy to share. Come create a new chapter in your story.
Working as engineering teams, students design and create model beam bridges using …
Working as engineering teams, students design and create model beam bridges using plastic drinking straws and tape as their construction materials. Their goal is to build the strongest bridge with a truss pattern of their own design, while meeting the design criteria and constraints. They experiment with different geometric shapes and determine how shapes affect the strength of materials. Let the competition begin!
Students learn about the variety of materials used by engineers in the …
Students learn about the variety of materials used by engineers in the design and construction of modern bridges. They also find out about the material properties important to bridge construction and consider the advantages and disadvantages of steel and concrete as common bridge-building materials to handle compressive and tensile forces.
To introduce the two types of stress that materials undergo compression and …
To introduce the two types of stress that materials undergo compression and tension students examine compressive and tensile forces and learn about bridges and skyscrapers. They construct their own building structure using marshmallows and spaghetti to see which structure can hold the most weight. In an associated literacy activity, students explore the psychological concepts of stress and stress management, and complete a writing activity.
Students work together in small groups, while competing with other teams, to …
Students work together in small groups, while competing with other teams, to explore the engineering design process through a tower building challenge. They are given a set of design constraints and then conduct online research to learn basic tower-building concepts. During a two-day process and using only tape and plastic drinking straws, teams design and build the strongest possible structure. They refine their designs, incorporating information learned from testing and competing teams, to create stronger straw towers using fewer resources (fewer straws). They calculate strength-to-weight ratios to determine the winning design.
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