My Year 6 Class will be learning with Kerbal...

[SmarterThanMe]

G'day All. I'll be putting a proposal to my supervisor this afternoon suggesting that my Year 6 class take on a unit with Kerbal Edu at its core. This will be... Interesting.

I have most of the unit already built. Essentially I'm going to be breaking the unit into two parts. The first part will concentrate on building effective rockets, but it'll be student-led. I want the students to develop a try/fail/rework/succeed approach. The second part will be to document a space mission or series of space missions in some form. I have to link the unit to a "Natural Disasters" unit that my students are already undertaking, so there'll be some ARM stuff too.

Does anyone have any suggestions on any other learning experiences that they think would be important and/or interesting for a class of year 6 students?

[phoenix_ca]

I hope you're using FAR.

Wait, no. No I don't. That'd be cruel to subject kids to that level of math without adequate preparation. O.O

[NASAFanboy]

G'day All. I'll be putting a proposal to my supervisor this afternoon suggesting that my Year 6 class take on a unit with Kerbal Edu at its core. This will be... Interesting.

I have most of the unit already built. Essentially I'm going to be breaking the unit into two parts. The first part will concentrate on building effective rockets, but it'll be student-led. I want the students to develop a try/fail/rework/succeed approach. The second part will be to document a space mission or series of space missions in some form. I have to link the unit to a "Natural Disasters" unit that my students are already undertaking, so there'll be some ARM stuff too.

Does anyone have any suggestions on any other learning experiences that they think would be important and/or interesting for a class of year 6 students?

Lucky you!

Remember to install FAR

[SmarterThanMe]

I hope you're using FAR.

Wait, no. No I don't. That'd be cruel to subject kids to that level of math without adequate preparation. O.O

Heh. I had actually considered FAR (as well as KSPI and a couple of other mods on my difficult list)... But my students already think I'm [deleted]. Still thinking about it.

Edited May 20, 2014 by Rowsdower
Stars or no, please watch your language :)

[Rowsdower]

Good luck! Please keep us updated with the results.

[SmarterThanMe]

Good luck! Please keep us updated with the results.

I will! And, by the way, if you ever have any teachers wanting to do a similar sort of thing from Australia, you can put them in touch with me and (depending on what my boss says) I might be able to share my part/all of my unit with them linked to the Australian national curricular requirements.

[Redjoker]

Heh. I had actually considered FAR (as well as KSPI and a couple of other mods on my difficult list)... But my students already think I'm a *******. Still thinking about it.

FAR with rockets doesn't really make them anymore difficult, you just need to add fins to the bottom. It actually makes an efficient launch profile need 200 to 300 m/s less than stock aerodynamics.

[phoenix_ca]

Yes but...have you seen the table of stability derivatives FAR creates?

[Specialist290]

I like seeing little educational projects like these. I'll be keeping an eye on this myself

Feel free to make use of any of the resources listed on the Drawing Board (link in my signature), whether by referring your students directly to them or as an inspiration for material to cover in your lesson plans. In particular, I think you might find MyKSPCareer and Fly On Budget! to be especially handy references for the general concepts and a few specific formulas.

[Captain Sierra]

Yes but...have you seen the table of stability derivatives FAR creates?

I've been through AP Calculus AB and that table still scares me. That should tell you something.

[ximrm]

year 6..i don't know if it's the same system, but most of them should be around 12.

What are teenagers mostly interested today?...(obvious answer is obvious)

First, don't tell them it's an educational game(empahsize that,it's really important) You have to open their minds for it,so they don't reject it immediately. Show them how fun it is to be an engineer.(of course that's not true,but let dream for a few years until the harsh reality gets them)

Start off with a simple rocket.

Give them some premade crafts and subassemblies and let them explore the smaller parts by themselves.When they read the funny descriptions,they'll be more open to the game.

Just don't install FAR, they'll end up frustrated and hate you for that.

[SmarterThanMe]

I like seeing little educational projects like these. I'll be keeping an eye on this myself

Feel free to make use of any of the resources listed on the Drawing Board (link in my signature)...

Cheers! Actually you seem to have taken care of some of the things that I wanted to do.

I've been through AP Calculus AB and that table still scares me. That should tell you something.

I've taught Calculus to gifted and talented students and that thing scares me.

[Pecan]

What does 'year 6' mean where you are?

[Redjoker]

Yes but...have you seen the table of stability derivatives FAR creates?

Yes, but those mostly apply to planes, while he appears to be planning to only do rockets.

[Random Tank]

What does 'year 6' mean where you are?

Plus 4/5 years to the year to get the children's age (depending on when their birthday's are in the year, school year starts in September?)

I thought it was the same with, say, 6th Grade?

[Dispatcher]

I think your approach is good. I have no suggestions for you to consider adding. I hope your boss goes for it.

[Robotengineer]

I hope you're using FAR.

Wait, no. No I don't. That'd be cruel to subject kids to that level of math without adequate preparation. O.O

Math in FAR? I don't use math for FAR and my planes work fine, so do my rockets. Also, you should add deadly re-entry and probably KER.

[L3GO]

Plus 4/5 years to the year to get the children's age (depending on when their birthday's are in the year, school year starts in September?)

I thought it was the same with, say, 6th Grade?

In Australia the school year starts in January around the 28th and the end of the year can finish at the end of November - start of December depending on what school you are at. Also Grade six should be around 11 -12 years old. I wish my teachers did this stuff.

[SmarterThanMe]

In Australia the school year starts in January around the 28th and the end of the year can finish at the end of November - start of December depending on what school you are at. Also Grade six should be around 11 -12 years old.

That's about right.

I wish my teachers did this stuff.

Heh. I'm not an ordinary type of teacher...

[Duxwing]

I have a plan!

First, philosophy. Kids are spoken down to eight hours a day, five days a week to earn the autonomy and respect we grant adults. Whatever our educational goals, that social dynamic is unhealthy: engineering can be a respite. To get that respite, treat them like you would engineers because being taken seriously after more than a decade of being laughed off is such a relief that they, ironically, will be thrilled. Keep the emotions kid-scaled and validated, and they will feel motivated.

Next, goals. Not everyone is necessarily an engineer. Some people lead well, others make pretty art, and others still can lead. Provide diverse, relevant roles, let student choose one, and allow students to affect the structure of the class. For example, if you want to do a natural disasters unit, then you could create a Kerbinar Guard, whose four teams of four engineers each must find and deflect a deadly asteroid from Kerbin while fourteen leaders, writers, and artists organize the teams and manage their scarce political and financial resources, report on events, and make informative and motivational art.

Finally, be sincere. Begin the lesson in character and costume and never let them see you break it--not even after school--because the planet is in terrible danger and we can't dawdle around. Have a boombox play dramatic music. Offer advice and guidance only when needed. Keep the game world simple and dynamic with fake news reports and speeches. And most importantly, whenever you wonder if you are going overboard, go further because the kids will eventually just to with it and, with every year, the unit will approach legend: proud will be they who steer mighty craft through the stars.

An example opening speech, given in a suit after a brief silence,

"Welcome to the Kerbinar Guard: you're here because you're the best. What I am about to tell you will require your unanimous oath of secrecy on pain of death. (oath of secrecy) (points to map). Four asteroids will destroy us in a year, and we need you to knock them off course. We have hidden this information lest panic should doom society, and we have built you an integrated design, flight, and command center wherefrom you can run this black project. Or, you can use this agency's broad emergency powers to publicize the impeding asteroids to seek more funding than we can pilfer from the budget, create black sites elsewhere, or do almost anything else. I therefore suggest electing capable leaders.

I suggest that the rest of you, engineers, artists, writers, or whatever else, review the classified material in the briefcase on the desk and organize a team to stop each asteroid."

-Duxwing

Edited May 21, 2014 by Duxwing

[Dodgey]

Year 6? Man that was a bit ago. Do we know what's happening with Kerbal EDU? I can't believe you are managing to do this with the Aussie education system, best of luck! I suspect we will be seeing a few more Kerbalnaughts around here soon.

[SmarterThanMe]

I have a plan!

Ever considered a career change, Duxwing? Want a job?

[Tortoise]

Remeber, FAR and DRE.

[Duxwing]

Ever considered a career change, Duxwing? Want a job?

Wow... Thanks.

-Duxwing

[kidolvski]

Sounds like fun.