Teaching with KSP

[Dimetime35c]

Okay I have a question. I showed a friend of mine that's a physics teacher KSP. He likes the game and thinks it could be used in his class but isn't sure how to actually do so. My question is how would you incorporate KSP into a physics class for grades 9-12.

[KvickFlygarn87]

Hm... Maybe have them try to get into orbit (most of them will fail horribly), then explain that you need a gravity turn and why. Then he could show them Vis-Viva equation, explain what decides how fast you are going, etc.

[NichG]

Delta-v calculation might be a reasonable thing to do, though atmospheric effects/variable ISP for Kerbin launches mean that there are extra fudge factors to add on top which aren't so good for educational purposes. Maybe use staging/a prepared game file and only have them calculate it for the second stage once it's already in orbit? Calculations of the delta-v requirement for apoapsis/periapsis adjustment might be reasonable. You could also do something with looking at how the orbital period depends on the various orbital parameters, and check that it follows Kepler's Laws.

Given that a highschool physics lab is generally going to be 45 minutes to an hour and a half in length, you'd want to make sure that the students don't waste too much time on e.g. failed launches and things like that. From launch to orbit in KSP is generally about 5 minutes if everything goes well, but kraken attacks, bad TWR, things like that may mean you have to try that a couple of times before it works (certainly if you're new to the game), so I'd guess that for the lab itself you'll burn 20 minutes teaching the basics of how to use the game interface, 30-40 minutes getting them to figure out how to get into orbit, etc, and then you can actually start doing things which have simple calculations. I'd start with Kepler's Laws, go over them in a class before the lab, spend 10 minutes at the start of the lab reviewing them, and have them set up a series of different orbits and measure them in game. Maybe something like:

- Get your craft as close as you can to a 100km x 100km orbit. Write down the apoapsis and periapsis from in-game here. Wait for your ship to go around (using time acceleration) and measure the orbital period.

- Put your craft into a 100km x 400km orbit. Write down the actual apoapsis and periapsis here. What is the semi-major axis of this orbit? Measure the orbital period.

- Put your craft into an inclined orbit. Write down apoapsis, periapsis, inclination, and semi-major axis. Measure the orbital period.

- Put your craft into two more orbits of your choice, write down the orbital parameters, and measure the orbital period.

- Now we will see if these results follow Kepler's Third Law. Compute the ratio T^2/r^3 for each of these orbits. Using the gravitational constant G, estimate the mass of Kerbin. Compare with the values from the in-game dialog.

To make it more fair (especially if the lab is being marked), it'd be reasonable to provide a save state with a craft with ample delta-V or infinite fuel cheats enabled sitting in Kerbin orbit, but part of the fun would be designing your own experimental craft and getting it up there yourself so I'd have that as a fallback option if people are having trouble - maybe check on everyone at the 50 minute mark and if they aren't in orbit yet, switch them to the save file.

[hazarada]

getting them to just play the game would have its own reward, if they're into it, rocket science can come later maybe he can check out algodoo too

Edited April 22, 2014 by hazarada

[Pecan]

Getting to orbit is, relatively, hard. I'd start them off in orbit around Kerbin and show how 'going faster' (burning prograde) expands the orbital circumference ... to Mun fly-by. Try to capture to local Mun orbit. Use normal/radial burns to adjust orbit. Point out that it's all orbits ... around Mun, around Kerbin, around Kerbol - theoretically around galactic centre, etc. etc.

[tjsnh]

I'm an aerospace education officer (among other things) with the Civil Air Patrol (google it) and have used KSP as a teaching tool for a class full of about 50 teenage airforce cadets.

Specifically, I did a quick "get them interested" tutorial on the projector screen showing how the game works. As expected, they were enthralled instantly. I moved on to a lesson showing how the Oberth effect works. KSP's visually displayed flight/orbit paths make it SUPER useful for visual demonstrations of that sort of principle. I'm planning to use it more going forward.

[RW-1]

Simple stuff:

1. Sub orbital flight straight up, shows what occurs - elliptical path from earths rotation underneath, no flight corrections.

2. Sub orbital flight with turn. Shows now we're heading somewhere but don't have enough to get to orbit.

3. Orbital insertion flight with turn.

Then let 'em at it.

If you begin to add the math right away you will ruin the fun, let them then ask why they didn't get to orbit, etc. Believe me they'll come up with good questions.

[Monger]

He should probably take a look at the special educational version of KSP, and give feedback to Squad what he needs. Creating proper educational lessons with KSP is still an open topic, I guess.

[sal_vager]

Dimetime35c, you may be interested in this from the FAQ:

I want to use KSP for a school, museum or another educational related project. May I?

Yes, Kerbal Space Program encourages 'Space Education'. We partnered with TeacherGaming and created 'KerbaEdu' for schools, so you can visit their website to contact them and know more about this.

[RSF77]

I think this is great, an interest in space and spaceflight education is something we (in the US) are really lacking these days, everybody cares about dumb things like justin bieber or real housewives instead. Its amazing all that was accomplished during the space race even with everything else going on, and saddening to think how few and far between (and mostly unnoticed by the public) the feats of engineering and adventure are now. Maybe KSP can be a part of what it takes to bring that spirit of adventure back.

Yes, Kerbal Space Program encourages 'Space Education'. We partnered with TeacherGaming and created 'KerbaEdu' for schools, so you can visit their website to contact them and know more about this.

KerbalEdu - "Launch kids into space"

I lost about 5 minutes laughing. All jokes aside, that's awesome.

Edited April 22, 2014 by RSF77

[halbert5150]

The underlying math that governs everything in KSP are newtonian physics. Teach them newtons laws and equations and then have them use netwtons equations to explain why things happen in the game the way that they do.

IE why do ships in lower orbit travel faster then ships in higher orbit?

How do geosynchronous orbits work?

Given the mass of kerbin and the mass and altitude of the mun what is the orbital period of the mun?

Calculating delta V is also a fantastic one. Yes the flight path and atmo drag increase the DV needed but tell them they have to build a launcher with a minimum of 4500dv and a maximum of 5500dv. Make them calculate the delta V by hand no kerbal engineer and test launch it. The craft file can be the file they turn in for the assignment.

[brdavis]

He should probably take a look at the special educational version of KSP, and give feedback to Squad what he needs. Creating proper educational lessons with KSP is still an open topic, I guess.

I have a college-level lab I wrote based on a small KSP craft in orbit; it was more basic than what people are talking about, because Newtonian physics needs to be the starting point, so I used it to study impulse, acceleration, and conservation of energy if I recall. I really need to post it, but I haven't yet. Do people want to see it?

As far as the Edu version… it's nice. I've been testing it, and they are incorporating a lot of the things teachers can use in simple forms. Once I realized I could text-edit my way into orbit with a fueled ship designing lessons got a *lot* easier.

Launching into orbit… is not, perhaps surprisingly, where I would start for a lesson. There's too much going on when you are trying to focus on the physics.

[Rowsdower]

As a few have mentioned here, please bring up KerbalEdu with your teacher. It's a mod meant for educational purposes, distributed to those in educational institutions. While going with the regular version is great, KerbalEdu will get you that much more from the experience.

[bsalis]

As mentioned before, KerbalEdu is the place to go for official educational support.

Personally for my 2c. I think people jump ahead to suggest the rocket equation and orbital mechanics, when the game can be used to demonstrate more fundamental physics. The foundation of rocket science is *very* fundamental. Some things I can think of...

Newtons Laws of Motion

The frictionless vacuum of space is a great place to demonstrate these laws.

Gravitational Acceleration

Again, in the vacuum of space, objects increase in velocity equally, regardless of mass. Can also illustrate the difference between mass and weight.

Kinetic Energy

Before tackling the rocket equation, it's important to remember that a rocket simply converts chemical energy into kinetic energy (ie. conservation of energy). Kinetic energy is a function of velocity and mass. You can demonstrate this in the game to show how different rockets of same chemical energy can give you more mass to lower velocity, or less mass to higher velocity.

Edited April 23, 2014 by bsalis

[NichG]

At that point I'd say just have them use the Unity engine with specifically configured physical scenarios. In KSP, if you're in space you aren't going to generally be in an inertial reference frame, which means that things like Newton's Laws, gravitational acceleration, and kinetic energy end up getting complicated by the effective forces from the non-inertial frame.

[JenBurdoo]

I've just started testing KerbalEDU. I'm sure it'll improve a lot over where it is now, but right now its value looks to be in guiding users towards what they need, and providing useful readouts of what happened.

My own educational gaming philosophy can be summed up as: "DON'T tell them they're learning anything, just let them play and learn without realizing it." There are all sorts of things that can be learned indirectly even though they're not even required to play -- like playing Risk as a kid, taking geography in high school, and suddenly remembering you know where Irkutsk is. KSP is like this: I wasn't even trying to learn -- I just wanted to put my Kerbals into the sky. It wasn't until after I had devoured the wiki and gotten into orbit for the first time that I realized I now understood why the Saturn V turns sideways during launch. I also realized I knew what it's called -- a gravity turn.

Oh, and I've started reading and rereading NASA memoirs. They have absolutely nothing to do with KSP or physics, but I'm doing it anyway because I've suddenly regained my enthusiasm for the subject. You may teach this for the physics and math, but if you do it right they'll go on to history, literature and art.

And they never even have to know.

Edited May 1, 2014 by JenBurdoo

[rkman]

As a few have mentioned here, please bring up KerbalEdu with your teacher. It's a mod meant for educational purposes, distributed to those in educational institutions.

I've just started testing KerbalEDU. I'm sure it'll improve a lot over where it is now, but right now its value looks to be in guiding users towards what they need, and providing useful readouts of what happened.

Will i first have to create an educational institution if i want that mod?

[JenBurdoo]

If you work as an educator, that's all you need. They ask for teachers, but I'm a public librarian working with teens and kids, and just started volunteering at an air museum. I don't teach physics classes, but I can definitely see uses for KSP if I can talk my bosses into allowing it.

[roosterr]

I am a middle school robotics teacher. From day one of the robotics program I show the students and explain a rocket launch as an example of the coolest and possibly most complex robot humans build. So I got away with loading KSP demo on my teacher laptop, and demo it to the students in hopes they may go home ang give it a go. Mind you, you dont really program the rockets in KSP (no if/then's) but it can be a complex autosequence with action groups along side. Using mechjeb is semi programmable.

I will then get their minds going on gravity, show them how orbits works and basic mechanics.

That is about as far as I take it, light on physics. BUT it is a great tool for problem solving and engineering.

Lastly, if no one else has mentioned it to you, there is an "EDU" version in the works, collaborated by SQUAD and Teachergaming: http://www.kerbaledu.com/

[roosterr]

I've just started testing KerbalEDU. I'm sure it'll improve a lot over where it is now, but right now its value looks to be in guiding users towards what they need, and providing useful readouts of what happened.

My own educational gaming philosophy can be summed up as: "DON'T tell them they're learning anything, just let them play and learn without realizing it." There are all sorts of things that can be learned indirectly even though they're not even required to play -- like playing Risk as a kid, taking geography in high school, and suddenly remembering you know where Irkutsk is. KSP is like this: I wasn't even trying to learn -- I just wanted to put my Kerbals into the sky. It wasn't until after I had devoured the wiki and gotten into orbit for the first time that I realized I now understood why the Saturn V turns sideways during launch. I also realized I knew what it's called -- a gravity turn.

Oh, and I've started reading and rereading NASA memoirs. They have absolutely nothing to do with KSP or physics, but I'm doing it anyway because I've suddenly regained my enthusiasm for the subject. You may teach this for the physics and math, but if you do it right they'll go on to history, literature and art.

And they never even have to know.

I was inspired and re-inspired in the same way. Thanks to KSP, i developed an addiction to the finer details of the apollo missions and and now a budding astronomer preparing for my second telescope (and and eye on #3, dont tell my wife, lol)

Amazing what a little "game" can do

[roosterr]

Okay I have a question. I showed a friend of mine that's a physics teacher KSP. He likes the game and thinks it could be used in his class but isn't sure how to actually do so. My question is how would you incorporate KSP into a physics class for grades 9-12.

... and maybe an answer to your question would be to explain gravity and orbital mechanics using KSP as a prop for demonstration.

[roosterr]

getting them to just play the game would have its own reward, if they're into it, rocket science can come later maybe he can check out algodoo too

Like!

Kids dont always and shouldnt need to be told to learn.