UTSDC is an international design contest for high school students. Teams of up to five compete by developing a design for a particular space-related project. Each team first submits a report detailing their design with supporting research and data, and then gives a final presentation of their design during the Design Conference held in May. The presentation is in the form of both a poster display and an oral presentation in front of a panel of judges.

During the Design Conference, participants enjoy 4 days and 3 nights with accommodation on the St. George Campus. On days when students are not presenting, they are given the opportunity to tour aerospace industrial and research sectors, such as MDA and the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS), as well as hear talks from distinguished space professionals.

The mandate of UTSDC is to stimulate achievement in applied math and science among contestants, while allowing students to have a better understanding of aerospace engineering and space science as a career. To see how this contest assists teachers in science teaching, please see the sections below.

Although the contest challenges provided by UTSDC are space-related, the solutions designed by students require them to take into consideration a broad range of science applications, as well as their implication and dependency on the society and the environment. Therefore it is an effective way to realize the three goals in science teaching as stated in the Ontario high school science curriculum:

1. to relate science to technology, society, and the environment
2. to develop the skills, strategies, and habits of mind required for scientific inquiry
3. to understand the basic concepts of science

For each design challenge, contestants are expected to carefully analyze the problem and perform additional research and investigation. As space is a highly technical field, a solid understanding of the basic concepts of science is required for the participants to achieve a thorough understanding of the problem. Students also get to exercise their critical thinking skills as they selectively extract researched and textbook materials to support their claims, as well as when they decide on the final design solution.

The participants of UTSDC play the role of engineers for the future world, who ultimately make the link between science, technology and society. As a result, in the process of making a good engineering decision, students will naturally have to answer questions including: how would it benefit the majority of the population? how could it be more sustainable? how much would it cost? etc., thereby allowing them to not only learn the importance of these non-technical factors, but to experience it as well. Lastly, being able to receive feedback from industry professionals and space researchers make it an even more valuable lesson.

To view winning design reports from previous years, please refer to our archive of design reports.

UTSDC is able to assist teachers in realizing the following areas described in the curriculum:

• Roles and Responsibilities in the Science Program for teachers by helping students realize the three goals of the science program
• Apply the Four Broad Areas of Skills in Scientific Investigation by requiring the students to investigate the problem, gather and analyze information, then communicate their conclusions in forms of writing, visual and oral communication
• Critical Thinking and Critical Literacy, Mathematical Literacy and Investigation Skills under “Some Considerations for Program Planning”
• Career Education, Cooperative Education under “Some Considerations for Program Planning”

UTSDC provides a fun and engaging environment for students to attain skills and knowledge that could not be acquired in a regular classroom setting. The activities planned during the Design Conference include both field trips to view the commercial and research Canadian aerospace activities and engaging engineering activities. Through these activities, students gain in-depth knowledge of future careers related to engineering, astronomy, and planetary science. Organizing activities of the same nature within individual high schools would be difficult, and it loses the benefits of allowing the students to get out of the school and meet like-minded peers from others parts of Canada, or even around the globe!

For most high schools in Ontario and Canada, teachers may recommend participation in UTSDC to students who show stronger interest in science and/or engineering. For schools with special programs or courses, where classes are small and less diverse (AP classes for example), teachers may modify the course in requiring students to compete in UTSDC as the culminating project for the course. Teachers’ motivations and encouragement are extremely important, especially to students who shy away from the contest because they are new to the idea. According to a survey conducted at the end of the 2009-2010 contest, over 50% of the participants would like to participate again, and that excludes those who are attending universities in the coming year. Therefore, it’s absolutely crucial that teachers help their students take this first step.

The following is a list of relevant course topics for teachers’ reference. In general, the physics of motion and planetary science are the most pertinent topics for UTSDC. Specific courses will vary depending on the contest challenge and the solution students choose to analyze. Therefore, this list only serves as a rough guideline. It is highly recommended that students think outside of the box; possible solutions should not be limited to this list.

Grade 9 Science

• Interactions for a sustainable environment
• Chemical properties of compounds and their effect on society
• Celestial objects in the solar system and their respective properties
• Cost of space missions and exploration
• Electricity as a form of energy and its production from renewable and non-renewable resources
• Environmental implications of the production and consumption of electricity

Grade 10 Science

• Chemical reactions and the effects on the environment
• Energy and heat production from chemical reactions
• The greenhouse effect and how it contributes to climate change
• Solar radiance and its effects on society
• Properties of light and different types of light emissions

Grade 11 Physics

• Kinematics
• Forces and Newton’s Laws of Motion
• Transformation of different types of energy and their effects on the environment
• Energy production efficiency and thermal losses
• Electricity and magnetism and their industrial applications

Grade 11 Chemistry

• Proper use of chemicals to minimize risk to humans and the environment
• Effects of chemical reactions and their uses in industrial applications
• The importance of water on the survival of living things
• Ideal gas law and maintaining suitable pressures for human living

Grade 11 Biology

• Effects of human activities on the ecosystem
• Habitable living conditions for humans
• Plant variety and its importance on the sustainability of the ecosystem

Grade 12 Physics

• Dynamics and motion
• Conservation of energy and momentum
• Gravitational fields as they relate to objects in space
• Application of electric and magnetic fields for industrial uses

Grade 12 Chemistry

• Different energy-producing processes, their efficiency and impact on the environment
• Optimizing the conditions to improve chemical rates of reaction
• Specific heat capacity and its importance in choosing fuels
• Oxidation-reduction reactions and the practical applications of electrochemistry

Grade 12 Biology

• Technological applications that affect biological processes
• Products of metabolic processes, including cellular respiration and photosynthesis
• Chemical changes and energy conversions resulting from metabolic processes
• Maintaining homeostasis in the human body

To prepare your students for the contest, teachers are encouraged to emphasize and relate when teaching the relevant topics in the curriculum to the students. If you have any further questions regarding the integration of the contest into the regular science classes, please feel free to contact us. For additional space-related lesson plans and activities to prepare your students for the contest, the NASA Space Settlement website may be a good resource.

When guiding your students through the contest challenge, you may also encourage them to:

• Think outside the box for potential design solutions -- a creative solution is always more fun to work with!
• Apply the analytical skills and knowledge they have developed in class as much as possible -- engineering decisions are always supported by logical reasoning and facts.
• Attend the Space Workshop hosted by UTSDC in February, which is a great opportunity for students to receive feedback on their initial design.
• Send additional questions to judging.

Last but not least, both teachers and students should have lots of fun with the current UTSDC challenge!