New Earth's Systems Module with New Storyline
Earth Science has been our most highly demanded new content area. You ask for it, we provide it: a new Earth's Systems module now exists, adding the storyline 'Yours, Mines, and Ours.'
In this 7-quest storyline, students will try to find out where diamonds can be mined in Espeth to shore up the supply for industrial uses. Along the way, they will learn about the rock cycle, how diamonds form within the Earth, Earth’s inner structure, and how humans can extract diamonds from the ground (and elsewhere!) with the help of technology.
Mathematical Thinking
Though our primary focus has always been science, we've made a point to add more mathematical problem-solving to our storylines. This one is no exception: students will need to help a budding geologist calculate the relative width and depth of a pit mine that is to be constructed nearby. The sides of the pit must always maintain a 45 degree angle to avoid cave-ins, and one of the sites borders a nature preserve, which places a limit on how wide (and therefore, how deep) it can go before doing harm to the environment.
Social Impact
No matter what's being mined, all types of mining wreak havoc on local environments. However, we wanted to be sensitive to the fact that mining has other effects besides environmental devastation. Countless families around the world depend upon the economies created by mining industries. Communities are built around mines, and they, too, can be negatively affected when mines are abandoned or built without care.
Character Art Updates
Based on student feedback, we've made some update to player characters. They now feature bolder details, such as deeper contours and added highlights. We've also updated the default jumpsuit to be more stylish, and improved our character animations so that human characters will appear more natural and lively. We're also working on additional updates to our character art (both human and non-human!) based on student feedback.
