Howdy Everyone!

[FizziksGuy]

Hi!

I'm new to the Kerbal Space Program, but looking to learn a lot in a hurry. I'm a physics teacher who just bought a bunch of copies of the game for my students to work through a "space race challenge" over the last four weeks of our school year.

Any advice you might have on putting the program together would be very much appreciated... for example, I was think of giving the kids a set of challenges and asking them to proceed through as many challenges as they can in order. Challenges could include: an unmanned rocket launch; a manned rocket launch (safe, of course), putting a Kerbal in orbit (and bringing him home safely), putting a Kerbal on the Mun, putting a Kerbal on various planets, docking with a satellite, etc.

I'm also planning on having the students document their journey in their individual blogs as they go along. To that end, can anyone tell me where to find screenshots taken on a Mac? I know I'm supposed to look in the /Screenshots folder inside my KSP folder, but as I have the game on STEAM, I haven't been able to navigate to the correct place (and I bet their blog posts would be much more interesting with pictures).

Thanks for any hints, advice, and I'm looking forward to a fun four weeks!

[sal_vager]

Welcome to the community FizziksGuy

Finding the screenshots should be a matter of right clicking KSP in Steam, selecting Properties, then Local Files, then Browse Local Files

I'm not sure where to begin with suggestions for your class though, but it sounds like a really fun project and we'd love to have updates on how it turns out

I think you are on the right track though with a set of missions and defined goals, allowing your students to progress through their own space race, but you could add more to it.

By assigning costs to parts and payments for missions completed, you could set up a true space race between "civilian contractors", with higher rewards for the first to accomplish a new mission and allow smaller "companies" to pool their resources in the quest to put satellites or Kerbals in space

Something like this might be too competitive, but it'd be a great way to see how private space companies might work with or against each other, as the future of Man in space is in their hands now really

[FizziksGuy]

Welcome to the community FizziksGuy

By assigning costs to parts and payments for missions completed, you could set up a true space race between "civilian contractors", with higher rewards for the first to accomplish a new mission and allow smaller "companies" to pool their resources in the quest to put satellites or Kerbals in space

Something like this might be too competitive, but it'd be a great way to see how private space companies might work with or against each other, as the future of Man in space is in their hands now really

Thanks, found the screenshots, and I LOVE the idea of throwing some finances in there as well...

[Capt'n Skunky]

Happy Launching!

Arrr!

Capt'n Skunky

KSP Community Manager

[Morokth]

I, for one, must commend you on the real world applications of this gaming system as you intend to use it in your class room. I hope that your endeavors spawn a whole new generation of physics and astrophysics majors. Good on you, mate, as the Brits and/or Aussies might toss your way!