Alien sighting at École Sacré-Coeur

Invent an Alien has been a side competition of the Manitoba Schools’ Science Symposium since 1985. It follows the design process by having students build a theoretically testable entity which meets the criteria of being a biological creature. 

Students research, plan, compose, edit, and present their theoretical aliens to judges. The science projects also incorporate Visual Art and Language Arts outcomes; students can create solo projects or work with a partner.

The aliens are required to have adaptations to live in harsh climates and conditions of other planets or moons. 

 Every year students are asked to invent aliens for different locations. This year, Mars was chosen because of the Mars Ingenuity Rover, which started its mission in February 2021. 

 “This project ties into the Grade 6 Space unit and the Grade 5 Human Body unit,” said Tina Hellmuth, the French Immersion STEAM support teacher. “Students not only researched how humans would survive on Mars, but also considered how other life forms would adjust to living on Mars.”

 Invent an Alien was a Hybrid event this year. Students had to submit their projects online, but judging was conducted over Google Meet. Students had the opportunity to answer questions from the judges and expand on their thinking. 

 “The students impressed the Francophone judges with their abilities to answer questions in French for their 20-minute judging period,” said Hellmuth.

 Emily, a Grade 5 student at École Sacré-Coeur, said she enjoyed participating in the Invent an Alien competition.

 “I learnt about the key things to survival, Mars and how the human body works,” she said. “I enjoyed learning the technical elements like recording on a green screen.” 

 Sacré-Coeur sent in four projects for the Invent an Alien competition, and all groups finished with Gold medals. Congratulations to students Adalyn Leonard, Addy Gross, Aysha Tittenberger, Emily Kornelsen, Anna Mellinger Dueck, Arianna Linsangan, Kitana Dela Cruz and Lily Hannah, as well as their teacher liaisons Hilary Gibson, Kim DeWaal and Tina Hellmuth.