KSP for middle-school students?

[Malachai]

Here's the deal: I heart KSP. I've not only filled my brain to capacity with new terms and concepts, but gained a newfound respect for the real space programs. I want to share this love and respect and knowledge and other warm fuzzies. My mother's a middle-school teacher, and is in charge of the MG program. I'm thinking that this would be a fantastic game for the kids in the program. So what do YOU people think? Would this be good for kids of that age, or would it go over their heads? I hope not, and I think not, but I'm basing this off of myself, and I'm older and wiser than I was as a kid. The only real issue I can foresee is a time issue. This game is a total time sink, and it can take awhile to do anything of real meaning...

[HockeyToad28]

I'm in middle school and i am fascinated with this game and understand it very well. I was always interested in space but this took my interest to a whole new level. In fact this greatly influenced my career choices.

[Dr. Muttonstache]

I dont think it would be too complicated, alot of parents here are letting their 4-9 year olds play it and they seem to grasp it well.

I'm in middle school and i am fascinated with this game and understand it very well. I was always interested in space but this took my interest to a whole new level. In fact this greatly influenced my career choices.

This forum, and game especially, keeps giving me more and more hope for humanity because of stuff like this.

[XenonSpark]

You're right, time would be a huge factor. But KSP absolutely can be used to teach kids about space, and to a great extent, introductory physics.

It might just fly over the heads of some kids, but others would be really interested and get passionate about it.

[Malachai]

Well, I told my mother about this game weeks ago when I first started, so she's keeping it in mind. Personally, though I'm going to wait until the full release before really hounding her about it. Right now there's too many bugs, and while I may have learned a preternatural calmness, I don't wish them on any young person's fragile, still-forming psyche. Of course, I'd have to teach my mother the game so she could teach it to the kids, and that might be tricky!

[GROOV3ST3R]

Probably the more unexpected future use of KSP But a likely one. The character of the game definitely makes it appealing to certain age groups, while not being a hardcore sim makes it more engaging.

Hey, weirder things have happened, I would not be surprised if somebody eventually approached Squad for permission in using this as an aid to teaching. A long way till then but it's not impossible Hey, even NASA made a video game as a way of showing the general public what would be required of them in a space colony - though they overestimated the internet with some hilarious consequences.

[Dr. Muttonstache]

Hey, even NASA made a video game as a way of showing the general public what would be required of them in a space colony

And a lot of NASA employees even play KSP, NASA just made a shoutout to KSP this morning, in fact.

[loppnessmonsta]

I saw a post not too long ago from a teacher discussing ways in which he could use the Demo version as part of his class. I believe the initial assignment was going to be to get something into orbit, then back again. It was just before the MetaKraken attack, though. But yeah, it was pretty cool, and if MY science teacher had had access to KSP, I wouldn't have hated his class so much. The science itself was fun, but I just didn't like him. Luckily my other science teachers were cool, and didn't kill the whole experience for me.

Yknow, I should mention this to my neice, actually. She teaches 4K (Or maybe kindergarten? i dont recall) and if nothing else they might like to watch it.

[phatm0n]

I think it would be very cool. It might be slightly more appropriate as an after school club or elective, though. That way it would be more likely that every kid there would be interested and engaged. Squad is also very open to mass sales to make the game more affordable for education. They say so somewhere in the FAQ on the store page where you download the game once you've bought it.

[Dr. Muttonstache]

I actually stick around after class and play some KSP with my professor after I showed it to him one day, it's pretty cool how KSP can do that.

[Malachai]

Yeah, the MG thing is pretty much a club. And thanks for the tip on the mass sale thing.

[Rufus Callahan]

I'm a high school teacher... I have demonstrated KSP in class and encouraged my astronomy kids to play it

[willneu97]

I'm in High School- I should talk to my Planetary Exploration teacher about this, I have no idea why it never occurred to me to do so

[TheInfamousAstronaut]

I too am in high school and I find this game very fun. I would hopefully like to major in aeronautical engineering.

[mushroomman]

Yeah I think this game would be great. And I'm certain students could understand it at grade 9 or earlier (considering I've been playing the game since I was in grade 9 :3).

And jeeze. I was already planning in a career in mechanical engineering, but if I'm good enough I'll look into aeronautical engineering as well.

[SteevyT]

Hey, even NASA made a video game as a way of showing the general public what would be required of them in a space colony - though they overestimated the internet with some hilarious consequences.

Do you mean this one?

[ROldford]

I'm a middle and high school science teacher, and I've been thinking that KSP would be awesome for some of the units we do (Grade 9 Space Science, Grade 11 IB Physics Gravity unit). I was wondering if there's anything I'd need to make that work (i.e. mods or something). The orbit data seems to be accessible from the Map view, but do you think there's anything essential missing? Thanks!

[Kerbol Prime]

I'm in middle school and I play KSP. I've learned a whole lot about orbital mechanics and stuff. I still don't get to play on weekdays even though I explained to my mother it was educational, but oh well.