RoboGarden’s moon world introduces students to space, where they can experience everything from the calculations required to launch rockets to the challenge of maintaining the appropriate speed and weight ratio inside the space shuttle. Students will be introduced to the different tools and equipment that the astronauts use during their journeys.
There are many programming concepts covered in these journeys. Students will be introduced to using if-statements to check for different conditions. They will also learn how to put a condition inside a loop, also called nesting it. This will allow them to check a condition multiple times.
The concept of variables will also be introduced. The student will learn how to define a new variable, increment or decrement it, and set its value. The student will use variables to solve math operations. At the end of the journey, the student should be comfortable with the concept of nested loops.
There are many Next Generation Science Standard (NGSS) concepts covered in these missions. Students will use Engineering Design principles to ask questions, identify problems, and find suitable solutions. They will also learn more about motion and stability concepts that can be applied in calculations pertaining to the space shuttle and rocket.
In this journey, the concept of constrained missions will be introduced. Students will be put in situations where they must decide what needs to be done to complete mission. The right answer isn’t necessarily obvious, and it won’t be considered correct unless it satisfies all the mission’s constraints.
Overall, the students are expected to improve in the areas of creativity, innovation, critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making.
