Starship Technical Manual

3-D visualization is hard! And it’s also really useful for both physics and higher-level math. This workbook is an introduction to 3-D geometry and one of the most common mathematical relationships in physics: The Inverse Square Law. In this activity, you are an interstellar space explorer, attempting to power your ship with the energy of an entire star. You’ve captured such a star, but in order to utilize its energy you must surround it with solar panels. Unfortunately, those solar panels keep catching on fire… There are a variety of ways this Adventure Workbook can be used. Older students (14+) can go on a full-on math investigation where they learn the geometric underpinnings of the Inverse Square Law (which describes how gravity behaves, as well as light intensity and electric fields!) Younger students (10-12) can follow along with the story, assemble some 3-D shapes, and build those shapes into their very own spaceships! (Some sample plans are included for a variety of spaceship options including The Habitat and The Swarm!) (This activity workbook is meant to be used alongside the Starlight Starship story, which can be found, along with a note to parents and teachers about ways to use this workbook and the story, at www.MathWithSarah.com/books.)