Teach the Solar System

Help High School Students Explore the Solar System While Developing Their Computational Thinking Skills

Hackathon Findings

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Hackathon Projects

• Teach The Solar System

Background

You will create an online learning resource (such as an app or web page) at the high school level that teaches computational thinking in the context of solar system science.

This is an open-ended challenge. Your project can come in the form of a visualization, an infographic, or some other type of interactive media on a web page or even a mobile app.

Please note: there will only be one team working on this challenge.

One definition of computational thinking (CT) is the conceptual foundation required to solve problems effectively and efficiently (i.e. algorithmically, with or without the assistance of computers) with solutions that are reusable in different contexts. CT can further be broken down into the core elements of decomposition (breaking down a problem into manageable parts), abstraction (data collection, pattern recognition, modeling), algorithms (design logical and ordered instructions for rendering a solution to a problem- parallel, efficient, automated), and debugging.

When you hear "computational thinking" you may imagine students learning how to code, but CT can also be taught on its own as a way of thinking and solving problems. Each of the CT concepts listed above are common components of scientific inquiry. In this challenge, you are encouraged to explore ways that high school students could develop one or more CT skill while interacting with a web product about the solar system.

Below is a list, which is by no means exhaustive, of some of the key solar system concepts that high school students should be familiar with.

• The physical parameters of the Sun are average compared to other stars in our galaxy.
• Our definition of a “planet” has changed over time and is still debated by scientists.
• All of the gas giants have rings - not just Saturn.
• The next closest star system to us is Proxima Centauri, which has at least 1 confirmed planet and is located 4.24 lightyears away.
• The only 2 objects in our solar system confirmed to have liquid at the surface are Earth (water) & Titan (ethane/methane).
• There are only 4 objects in our solar system confirmed to have active volcanism: Earth, Io, Enceladus, & Triton.
• The orbits of the planets are elliptical, and one focus of the ellipse is located at the center of mass between the Sun and each planet.
• The solar system is approximately 4.57 billion years old.
• The Sun is about halfway through its life cycle, and it will eventually become a white dwarf.

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Solutions

Computational thinking is a relatively new area of interest for educators. While the science of the solar system is the foundation for your work, you will need to think creatively about how to incorporate elements of computational thinking into the final product. What kind of learning experiences can help high school students develop their understanding and mastery of these skills?

Some possible solutions might be:

• A pattern recognition game. What patterns do we see in our solar system? What kinds of algorithmic approaches might make pattern finding easier?

• A "broken" model of the solar system Could students learn the skills of debugging by critiquing a flawed model?

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Resources

• Demystifying computational thinking: This 2017 paper examines the growing field of computational thinking (CT) in education.

• Code.org computational thinking curriculum: A sample 25 minute unplugged lesson plan that introduces CT concepts.

• Collected K12 computational thinking resources: Links to a variety of CT related resources for the K12 audience.

• NGSS HS Space Systems standards: NGSS practices, core ideas, and crosscutting concepts for space systems.

• NASA Solar System Exploration site: Information about current and past investigations of our solar system.

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Challenge owner: Yvonne De La Pena