KSP in a High School Physics Class

[Splode]

This is what I need to show my contact at NASA that's involved in educational outreach. Let me know when you have a some data on how well it works and when you've perfected your lesson plan.

Maybe we can get NASA to pick this up

Cheers!

Capt'n Skunky

KSP Community Manager

Every nasa related educational thing I've encountered has been terribly boring and completely missed the point. KSP would really be doing them a favour!

[TheHengeProphet]

Satellite / Space Station Milestones

First working useful satellite placed in orbit - $40,000

First space station in orbit - $100,000

First self-sufficient space station in orbit - $120,000

It might help to define what you would qualify as a "useful" sattelite, space station, and especially "self-sufficient" space station.

If one wishes to litigate, someone could throw a habitation module with a probe core, RCS, parachutes, and an RTG, and under the criteria (going by game function) would qualify under all three categories, earning a whomping $260,000.

Scoring: Teams will be provided an initial amount of funding which can be spent as the team sees fit. The first team to successfully meet and document a milestone will receive 100% prize money. The second team to meet and document that same milestone will receive 50% of the prize award.

I suggest making a third 25% value tier for all successive achievements of a particular milestone. Otherwise, you will swiftly find your various spaceprograms going bankrupt and unable to continue (lest that be part of the challenge). Keep in mind, an unappreciative government may still fund their space program if their program is late to a milestone, even if they don't wish to pay as much as the first guy to do it.

Play-by-Play: While the launch is occurring, at least one team members should be acting as a reporter, taking notes, and telling an engaging narrative about the launch. This is the bulk of the Launch Report

Photographs: Each launch should be accompanied by a minimum of two photographs from the mission. Screenshots may be made by pressing the F1 key at any time during the mission.

You may wish for them to take screenshots specifically at milestones achieved, as further proof of such. Or, you may wish to specify when you wish for screenshots to be taken in general, as guidelines.

Time-of-Flight: List the total time of the mission.

You should clarify if this is to indicate real life time, or mission clock time. If you wish for mission clock time, you may wish to clarify where that clock is, as to avoid confusion.

Edited May 4, 2013 by TheHengeProphet

[FizziksGuy]

Thanks for all the great ideas folks, this is tremendous! With only four weeks of class time (~ 40 minutes a day), it'll be a balancing act of academic rigor with fun and interest-building engagement. I'll keep refining the project this coming week, will start it the following week, and will be sure to feed back what happens, how it goes, what changes should be made for the next attempt, etc. I think no matter what the kids will enjoy it, and my biggest fear is surmounting the technical hurdles so that KSP runs at a reasonable pace on our school computers with all the appropriate permissions, security, etc.

You've been tremendous, thank you!!!!!

[Richy teh space man]

I wish I'd had KSP in my classes when I was at school.. sounds like a fun set of lessons.

[itsme86]

I think this is awesome. I wish my high school classes had included these kinds of activities and challenges.

[Awaras]

It's looking good so far FizziksGuy

I played something similar a long time ago, where the in-game parts were given new costs and each player had just enough funds to start with SRB's initially, in fact we all started with limited technology as well, pods, decouplers, chutes and SRB's were available at the start and we had to meet basic missions such as reaching a certain altitude.

Funds were spent on parts and on tech upgrades, such as liquid fuel tanks and engines, and more difficult missions became available over time.

I'm having a bit of difficulty finding the old thread though, but I hope my half remembered snippets have helped you

I remember I didn't do too well though, and ran out of funds!

Here is the thread, Sal:

DonLorenzos Forum Campaign - To space, the moon and beyond

And there was also this:

Forum controlled KSP campaign - Space race to the Mun

Both campaigns had spreadsheets containing the tech tree and all the prices. Those are gone now because the forum attachments were deleted a while back but I think I have them somewhere and could dig them up if anyone is interested.

Edited May 5, 2013 by Awaras

[FizziksGuy]

Thanks -- those look like great resources! I've taken a lot of folks' input into consideration, so our project is now shaping up kind of like this... still a week left to tweak it, but thanks for all the help!

[astocky]

I think if you are looking at adding some basic(ish) math to the process; what about getting them to use a delta-vee map like this one from Skyrender (http://www.skyrender.net/lp/ksp/system_map.png) to work out how much delta-vee they will need for the mission and then put that into the design goals. Then get them to roughly calculate their delta-vee budget for the created vessel as part of the safety check criteria. Not having sufficient delta-vee for a mission seems to be the most common issue that new players have, and is also one of the easiest to account for. It would also be a good challenge to see which team can complete a mission with the least delta-vee (closest to ideal).

As for the missions I feel that the "First Kerbal EVA - $50,000" is a bit high. The $50k for EVA is pretty much a given if they achieved "Achieving stable manned orbit - $50,000". Unless you require them to EVA to another vehicle which adds a whole orbital rendezvous challenge in itself.

Which I had this when I was at school.

[twelveways]

I teach English in China and one of the units of the textbook we use is all about space travel so I brought my laptop to school, hooked it up to the projector and we had a 'practical' session about gravity, orbits and fuel etc. The kids loved it and I think most of them went home and downloaded it. Unfortunately, as this is China, I'm guessing they didn't buy it...

[Ford_Prefect]

@OP I just saw this thread and wanted to tell you: I think you are an epic teacher

[_The_Burn_]

This is pretty cool! I would add prizes for returning from celestial bodies, in addition to landing on them. For example, returning from Eve would be a 1,500,000 bonus. Also, does a satellite of the Mun count as a non-kerbin satellite?

[Tauge]

Every nasa related educational thing I've encountered has been terribly boring and completely missed the point. KSP would really be doing them a favour!

NASA educational outreach has needed some tlc for a while now.

Skunky, just for your own information, even if they like it, they may be reluctant to work with tou. Educational outreach just had its funding slashed due to the budget sequestration. So it getting them interested...might be one of the less pleasant experiences in your life.

Edited May 6, 2013 by Tauge
typos

[FizziksGuy]

So, the students are off and running and having a blast with it. Also, glad to hear that after just one day, a number of them went home and picked up a copy of the software to play with at home as well. Our first mission reports were submitted just this morning, and I have students planning on coming in during their lunch periods for some extra time with the sim in a couple hours!

Fun to see how many groups started by just randomly building and launching, and how many are now making plans to go home and watch the tutorials, study up on transfer orbits, Delta-V, thrust to weight ratios, etc., in order to outpace their competition.

[paleorob]

Fantastic!

[Chocki]

I like that the team seems to be getting into it, writing Bobs whole narrative. Just awsome. They do need to be told that Jeb is the default crazy test pilot.

[CaptinKornflake]

Hey can i just enroll in your school pls yeah that'd be fantastic thanks

[Pbhead]

1.5 million for landing and returning a kerbal from eve? hahaha!

I am reading that right, right?

[Specialist290]

Nicely done

A bit disappointing that us outsiders don't have permissions to see the screenshots they're uploading, though

[Malaugrym]

1.5 million for landing and returning a kerbal from eve? hahaha!

I am reading that right, right?

Being the most difficult planet to accomplish said task from, yes.

[musicpenguin]

Yeah, Let us see the screenies and reports!

[Tollazor]

This is excellent and evidently a success, otherwise the students wouldn't be spending their home time learning orbital mechanics.

It would be super grand of you if you would supply links to more of the lesson plans and documentation so that I could take it to my children's high school physics teacher and see if I can sell the concept. It is Australia, so hopefully it wouldn't take anything away from you?

[White Rider]

I'll be following this. I find it fascinating reading their mission plans, parts list and execution.

For example I see one of the teams is endeavoring to send a satellite into Kerbin orbit just now... Using two standard T30 engines and two T45 engines with one F400 fuel tank and 6 F800 fuel tanks.

Obviously I can't see the pictures and thus can't see the rocket design, however I get the feeling that (as long as they can control the rocket) orbit should be achieved easily.

With that much fuel being carried up I think they will have a vast amount of it left in reserve after orbit is achieved. Are you deducting points for things such as exess fuel being carried up when its unnecessary/inefficient?

I see they are bringing parachutes also, I'm guessing incase they fail...

Point deductions incoming I guess if they crash and lose their expensive hardware so parachutes mitigate the failure cost?

I suppose the "point reduction" is sort of self imposed as if they are using up funds carrying extra mass it will eat funds from possible future missions.

[FizziksGuy]

Want 'em to aim high, and realize they only have 40 minutes a day for a few weeks to get up to speed, and do write-ups as they go.

[FizziksGuy]

Yeah, Let us see the screenies and reports!

Hmmm, you can't see the screenies and reports?

Found the problem. You should be able to see it all now. :-)

[FizziksGuy]

Hi White Rider,

Yes, at the moment they're in "brute force" mode, just learning the basics of how to achieve orbit. I'm assuming as their funds deplete and they need to hit more aggressive milestones they'll start working on being more efficient in their designs. The parachutes are for any parts of their rocket they return to Kerbin -- they get half the cost back as salvage if the parts aren't destroyed.

Right now they're still mostly playing, as most of their teams are still taking AP tests here in school (I have about 1/3 of my class in here at any given time). I'm expecting next week with full teams we'll see more scientific advancement. :-)