Inspired by Andy Weir's novel Project Hail Mary
Project Hail Mary
The sun is dying. You have one month.
Term 1 · September–November
Overview
The sun is dimming. A mysterious microorganism is consuming stellar energy, and Earth has one month to understand the threat, mobilize a response, and design a mission to stop it - inspired by Andy Weir's bestselling novel Project Hail Mary. Students take on the role of a global mission team, each bringing a different subject to bear on the same crisis, and end the month connecting and testing their systems together in a live mission demonstration.
How this challenge is structured
See the full week-by-week breakdown ↓
Science (SNC1W) - The universe, the Sun, and energy flow - how astronomers detect a change in a star.
What would it take for a microorganism to survive in space and feed on stellar energy?
Math (MTH1W) - Scientific notation and scale - working with genuinely vast numbers.
What does "scale" actually mean at this size?
English (ENL1W) - Begin an in-character mission journal; discuss source reliability in reporting a discovery.
How do you write something down so someone else will trust it later?
Geography (CGC1W) - Map where astronomical observatories are located worldwide, and why.
Why does geography determine where humanity looks at the universe?
History (CHC2D) - Canada's entry into WWI and the tone of the home front.
How did Canadians first react to a crisis they couldn't fully see coming?
Computer Science (ICD2O) - Build a basic data-collection tool using algorithms and sensors.
How would a real detection system notice something like this?
This week produces:
A one-page "First Contact Report."
Where each subject shows up
| Subject | In this challenge |
|---|---|
| Science (SNC1W) | The Sun, energy flow, atoms and elements, scientific investigation |
| Math (MTH1W) | Scale, measurement, proportional reasoning, data analysis |
| English (ENL1W) | Science fiction, source reliability, communicating scientific ideas |
| Geography (CGC1W) | Mapping, physical environments, geographic inquiry |
| Computer Science (ICD2O) | Algorithms, sensors, simulation, debugging |
Ends in…
A live mission demonstration where student teams connect and test their systems
Portfolio evidence
A mission briefing
Real credit
This challenge counts toward SNC1W, MTH1W, ENL1W, CGC1W, and ICD2O - real Ontario high school credits, not just enrichment.
Every challenge is built on Ontario Ministry-recognized courses delivered through TVO ILC on our schedule.
When curiosity meets a crisis worth solving, school stops feeling like practice - and starts feeling like the real thing.