High-Level Project Summary
We developed a dynamic learning game about stellar variability, which aims to find and identify which type of variable star was selected. This form of teaching tool makes learning more interesting as it turns something complex into simple and fun. In the game, there are informative texts that explain matters about stellar variability, giving explanation about stars, white dwarfs, supernovae, types of variable stars and also provide the necessary data and graphs. Being a game is very important, as it attracts the user's attention and improves learning with the dynamics that make you use your memory more and receive "rewards" for the answers, without causing stress like in a test, for example.
Link to Final Project
Link to Project "Demo"
Detailed Project Description
What do we develop?
We have developed a game called "Like a diamond in the sky" that has the possibility to:
- Interact with you;
- Make you feel like an astronaut;
- Teachs you in a fun way;
The app teachs you what is:
- Stars;
- Stellar variability;
- Variable Stars;
- White Dwarfs;
- Supernovae;
How it works?
- There are informative texts that teachs about stellar variability, giving features, data and graphs of each type of star;
- After explanations starts the objective of the game: find variable stars and identify what type it is;
Benefits:
- It provides simpler and more fun learning, making it easier to memorize.
- The care with the language of informative texts promotes a better understanding for any user;
Space Agency Data
We largely use NASA data to create our texts with information about the definition of stars, stellar variability and white dwarfs, and also to explain each type of variable star, using images and graphics to detail the characteristics of each. What made us use this data was its simplicity, which meets the objective of our project to expand learning about this specific subject of astronomy, stellar variability.
Hackathon Journey
It was an amazing experience but difficult for our standards. In the beginning we had difficulties but we managed to organize ourselves and work as a team. We would never have imagined that we would be able to make such an important game for scientific dissemination in just two days.
We learn to work faster, do good research, and use our understanding to make our own explanations for topics. When we faced obstacles and challenges, we thought together how we would solve the problem, without stressing or giving up, because then we would never reach the final goal.
We choose this challenge because we understand the importance of disseminating science and especially science that studies the stars. Making teaching astronomy fun and dynamic makes more people want to learn.
We would like to thank Marco Linhares, responsible for the Space Apps organization in Campinas, who was with us all the time during these two days of challenge, always supporting us, besides being the one who introduced us to this incredible project. Thank you, Marco!
References
- Cepheid data: https://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/cepheids.html
- Cataclysmic Variables and Supernovae data: https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/objects/cataclysmic_variables.html
- Light Curves data: https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbox/timing1.html
- Ceipheid image: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-Hubble/Europe Collaboration; Acknowledgment: H. Bond (STScI and Penn State University
- Dwarf Nova image: https://hubblesite.org/contents/media/images/2020/07/4622-Image?Tag=Novae - CREDITS: NASA and L. Hustak (STScI - https://www.stsci.edu/)
- White Dwarf supernovae image: ESO, Digitized Sky Survey 2, N. Risinger (skysurvey.org), L. Calçada - https://youtu.be/58hwrMX9fyo
- Classical Nova explosion image: K. Ulaczyk / Warsaw University Observatory - https://scx2.b-cdn.net/gfx/news/hires/2016/57b59eca3ba00.png
- Image0: images (739×415) (gstatic.com)
- Image1: https://www.tecnobility.com/sites/default/files/nave_espacial.jpg
Tags
#game #scratch #variablestars #twinkletwinklelittlestar #scientificdivulgation