My niece, Josian Heyerdahl, says of her grandfather Thor Heyerdahl that he was someone who really believed in his ideas, and did amazing things to follow his dreams. Indeed, what he did would make a wonderful introduction for middle and upper-school students to the STEM/STEAM process.
Heyerdahl observed strikingly similar ancient art inscriptions in locations separated by oceans, and surmised that ancient peoples in fact used oceans as highways. Thor differed with others in his field who felt that oceans were barriers to human migration. Heyerdahl decided to put his ideas into practice. He studied ancient raft building techniques, and insisted that his Kon-Tiki raft be made the same way. He then put to sea to test his migration theory even though he could not swim!
Whether or not one agrees with his theories, here is a man who can be used as an example to demonstrate to students the STEM/STEAM process of combining these disciplines to try out an experiment or idea. Here is a project utilizing Steam, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics in a wonderfully dramatic fashion.
The recent film Kon-Tiki, distributed this month in the USA by The Weinstein Company, and the best selling book by the same name can form an exciting backdrop or introduction to the concept of STEM/STEAM. This could lead to discussions on the oceans, engineering, rediscovering ancient technical knowledge, and many related topics. Heyerdahl’s subsequent Ra and Tigris vessels and voyages are no less interesting to students.
Thor Heyerdahl HERE
Kon-Tiki film HERE