Space Academy: Finding P.I.P.E.R. is an immersive, story-driven project for teaching coordinate graphing, data analysis, and geometric reasoning through an interstellar rescue mission.
Students work together as cadets on Proxima Centauri b, completing 10 hands-on missions that build to an exciting final evacuation from the planet. Along the way, they learn coordinate plane, ordered pairs, patterns in distance and time, graph-based prediction, and 2D shape classification.
You'll need a SPACE ACADEMY kit to find P.I.P.E.R.!
Order Kits
Welcome
Welcome to SPACE ACADEMY! In this warmup activity, students learn their mission: rescuing the lost explorer robot P.I.P.E.R.
Where is P.I.P.E.R.?
Crews use a grid map of Proxima Centauri b and a series of data transmissions to figure out P.I.P.E.R.'s last known location.
Build Your E.E.V.
Each crew will build an "Exoplanet Exploration Vehicle" (E.E.V.) to help them navigate the rocky terrain of Proxima Centauri b.
How Far? How Fast?
Crews develop a method to predict how far their vehicle will travel in any given amount of time, then test their ability to make these predictions.
Precision
Cadets discover the importance of using standardized methods and units of measurement as they collect data on the E.E.V.'s movements.
Graph It
Plotting their data, cadets practice using a graph to make accurate, fast predictions about the movement of their E.E.V.
Rescue Simulation
Crews are ready to head to Proxima Centauri b to rescue P.I.PE.R. But before they go, they must complete a simulated rescue.
Security Code
Before the rescue mission can begin, crews must decipher the security code on the rocket using their knowledge of coordinate graphing.
Reactivate P.I.P.E.R.
Arriving on Proxima Centauri b, crews rescue P.I.P.E.R. by determining how long they need to run their E.E.V.'s to reach the search zone.
Time to Go Home
P.I.P.E.R. has been rescued ... but there is an unexpected crisis: an asteroid is heading right for the search zone! Evacuate!
What Teachers & Students Say
"I want math to come alive for my students and to excite them as much as it excites me. This is what I've been searching for!"
"One just needs to look at their expression to understand the deep level thinking happening. I can't stop talking about your program. It is exactly how math should be taught."
"It's better than math, even though it IS math."
"The kids loved it. I loved it. This was the best thing we did all year."