Root and STEM

Many of us know what it feels like to peer into a body of water—a mud-bottom pond, one of the Great Lakes, the frothing ocean—and wonder what lurks way down beneath. What mysterious habitats exist in those murky places?

Two hours after untying from downtown Halifax’s dark harbour, the Pelagic Predator—a white, 15-metre fishing vessel captained by 38-year-old Camille Jacquard—rumbled atop a patch of Atlantic Ocean called the Darby Bank.

On a rainy day in May, 55 Saturna Island residents took to the intertidal zone in search of sea stars. With rulers and guidebooks in hand, they noted the size, colour, and species of stars, all in the hopes that their observations might help researchers protect these iconic marine creatures.

The Aqqiumavvik Society is a community alliance of public, mental, and community health groups in Arviat, Nunavut. Aqqiumavvik practises a community-identified approach, ensuring that any program or service we develop is based on needs that have been identified by the community itself. 

Alex Flynn grew up fishing for lake trout with his dad through a hole cut in the ice. Out on the lake, he was supposed to be jigging—bobbing his fishing line up and down to entice the trout to bite.

For thousands of years, the Haíɫzaqv have been harvesting salmon and other food from the waters of the Pacific Central Coast. They consider it their responsibility to manage their land and ocean resources so that the next 10,000 years, or 700 generations, can continue to do the same.

Most of us have heard of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology and have come to rely on it to get us from point A to point B. The use of GPS technology extends well beyond giving users basic directions.

Marine conservation efforts have been growing rapidly in North America over the past decade. In Canada, the commitment to protect the country’s land and oceans has risen from a goal of 10 per cent in 2020 to 30 per cent by 2030.

Patrick Wells spoke with Root & STEM about his perspective on how to implement ocean conservation in the classroom and why inclusivity is an inherent part of education.

The night sky offers a majestic view, filled with millions of tiny lights, each from a distant star. Throughout our galaxy, there are billions of stars, each orbiting the centre of the galaxy, each emitting its own light and sharing its own story. As far as scientists can tell, our Sun is not a particularly special star, yet it is the only star we know of that hosts life. But, that view is changing.

All cultures on Nikawiy Aski (Mother Earth) have looked into the night sky with wonder and awe. Each culture has its own perspective of the sky and its own particular understanding of how that awesome sky connects to its world views. Different cultures have always looked to the sky to make connections, seek order, and pursue an understanding of identity.

For younger readers, here are some books that provide both entertainment and education about space and what lies above us and beyond.

When Abby Lacson was in Grade 10, she knew she wanted to be an engineer. But it wasn’t until she went camping in the Rockies and saw the night sky, free from light pollution, that it finally clicked: she wanted to become an astronaut. Now, at 24, Lacson is a junior space operations engineer with MDA Space, the Canadian space technology company behind the Canadarm, a series of robotic arms used on the space shuttle.

Humans are going back to the moon. Life on Earth is feeling its way out of its den. We first went to the moon in 1969. Twelve American men walked on the lunar surface and another four orbited Earth’s satellite over a series of nine missions. Many different countries—at last count, eight—and countless companies are planning new lunar missions and Canada is set to play a role in one of the first.

Tomatosphere is a free program that encourages students to investigate the effects of outer space on food to support human space travel. The program uses detailed experiments conducted on tomato plants. Students explore the differences between plant growth under stressed space conditions through various experiments available on the Tomatosphere website.

The Canadian Satellite Design Challenge Management Society (CSDCMS) has been managing a university-level “CubeSat” satellite competition for over 10 years, and has recently expanded to offer the CanSat Design Challenge to high school students.

Technology inspires innovation, and in recent years, hackathons have become increasingly popular as a way to explore innovative solutions to complex challenges.

There’s a lot of concern about how artificial intelligence (AI) and automation could soon replace people in jobs like truck-driving or proofreading. But in creative fields like art, music and dance, pioneers are experimenting with AI as a tool to expand the limits of creative possibility.

When Jasper Kanes was two years old, their parents took them whale watching for the first time. As is the case for many whale enthusiasts, that first encounter sparked a life-long devotion.

The passion for motion is what powers Dan Kitchen’s latest venture. Make Stuff Move offers tools and resources for educators and makers looking to learn more about how to tinker well.

Makerspaces are designed to inspire us to bring big and small innovative concepts to life by providing access to tools, knowledge and a community of makers.

One sector wherein the design and ethics of AI can literally mean life or death every day is mining—specifically, in the use of large mining haul trucks.

With their profusion of bright colours and repeating shapes and patterns, the computer-coded creations produced by Ron Cameron’s Grade 4 and 5 students are groovy and mesmerizing.

AI is built into many online learning programs to provide teachers and students with unique educational opportunities and experiences.