On Apr 11, 2014, at 12:45 PM, Asher Royce Yaffee <ashersensei@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi, All,
>    I dropped out of the Traveller TML a few years back.  In the last two weeks, however, my children have become interested in playing Traveller.
>    With my kids, I use roleplaying games to teach.  For example, my kids have learned plenty about the ancient Greeks & Romans, and about medieval Japan.
>    Now my kids want powered armor and spaceships instead of swords and chariots.  I see it as a chance to teach some simple science.  Their ages are 8, 10, and almost 12.  My kids have not learned any algebra yet, so I have to be careful about any prerequisite math in the science I introduce.
>    I was hoping that the TML members might be able to help, if I may be so bold as to impose.
>
>    My first question is, what science lessons would you like to see inserted into my kids' Traveller adventures?
>
>    Any and all feedback is welcome.
>    Sincerely,
> Asher Royce

Make ‘em the crew of a ISS lab ship examining a new system. Many simple, yet valuable lessons could be had:

How do you identify planets in this system? History (Galileo, Herschel, Clyde Tombaugh), astronomy (look for things that move from day to day), some simple geometry, like what would happen if you jumped to a different side of the system, would it make it easier or harder to identify planets?

Once they’ve identified the planets, what would they look for? Are they looking for life? for exploitable resources? A place to live? How would they go about looking for them? Intro to spectroscopy!

Say, they’re looking for a place to put a colony.

Once they find one, well, they have to explore it. Cue Biology, geography, chemistry (how can I tell of that fruit is safe for me to eat? Can I grow food here? Why can’t I?)

What if they find sentient beings there? Lots of stuff from sociology to political history to linguistics to explore.

Maybe resources…they find a valuable source of unobtanium deep in a gas giant. What do they have to worry about? How could they get something from pressures so high (you can use modern deep sea research for examples)

--
Bruce Johnson
University of Arizona
College of Pharmacy
Information Technology Group

Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs