Unit Eight: Rocket Science

This isn't Rocket Science! Oh, wait...yes, it is! 🚀

Before the girls take flight with their own personalized rocket, they will learn the basics of rocket science! Then it's time to take flight!

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land amongst the stars."

-Les Brown

This unit is on-going, so check back for more activities.

Construction Phase

Liz works on cutting fins for the body of her paper rocket. Students experiemented with how fins provide stability to the body of the rocket.

Launch Initiated

Stella works to improve her design and increase the distance traveled. Factors that students changed included length of the body of the rocket, number of fins present, and air pressure through the straw.

Working on the issues

We encourage our girls to always be working through the Design Thinking Process. It allows students to isolate areas of design and improve on it.

Day One: Introduction to Rocket Science- Building Paper Rockets

Title: Building Paper Rockets

Objective: Students will learn about the principles of flight and engineering by designing and building paper rockets.

Materials:

- Paper (construction paper or cardstock)

- Scissors

- Tape

- Straws

- Pencils

- Decorative materials (markers, stickers, etc.)

Lesson 1: Introduction to Flight

1. Begin by discussing the principles of flight with students. Explain concepts such as lift, thrust, drag, and gravity.

2. Show examples of rockets and discuss their purpose and different designs.

3. Have students brainstorm different ideas for their paper rockets and discuss what materials they will need.

Lesson 2: Designing and Building Rockets

1. Have students sketch out their rocket designs on paper. Encourage them to think about the shape of the rocket and how it will fly.

2. Provide students with materials to begin building their rockets. Remind them to consider the principles of flight as they construct their rockets.

3. Assist students as needed and encourage them to test out different designs and make improvements.

Lesson 3: Testing and Launching Rockets

1. Set up a launching area outdoors or in a large open space.

2. Have students attach their rockets to straws using tape. They can then use a pencil to blow air through the straw and launch their rockets.

3. Encourage students to observe how their rockets fly and make adjustments as needed to improve the flight.

4. Have students test their rockets with different launch angles and distances to see how they can affect the flight.

Lesson 4: Reflection and Conclusion

1. Have students reflect on their rocket building experience. What worked well? What could be improved?

2. Discuss with students how the principles of flight were applied in their rocket designs.

3. Ask students to share their rockets with the class and explain their design choices.

4. Conclude the lesson by discussing the importance of engineering and creativity in designing rockets.

Vocabulary Memes!

Who doesn't love a good meme? The girls were challenged to use content specific vocabulary words to make some memes! Here are a few memes to brighten your day! ☀️

Lesson plans for activity found below!

Title: Rocketry Vocab Memes

Objective: Students will create memes using rocketry terms to demonstrate understanding and retention of vocabulary words related to rocketry.

Materials:

- Rocketry vocabulary list

- Internet access- Computer or tablet

- Memes creating tool (e.g. Canva, Adobe Spark, etc.)

Procedure:

1. Introduction:

- Start the lesson by discussing the importance of vocabulary in rocketry and how it helps in understanding the subject.

- Introduce the rocketry vocabulary list to the students and explain the meanings of each term.

2. Memes Creation:

- Divide students into small groups or pairs.

- Instruct students to choose rocketry terms from the list and create a meme that represents the term using a memes creating tool.

- Encourage students to be creative and use images, captions, and designs that accurately depict the meaning of the term.

- Monitor and assist students as they work on creating their memes.

3. Presentation:

- Once the memes are created, have each group present their meme to the class.

- Ask students to explain the meaning of the term and how their meme represents it.

- Encourage classmates to provide feedback and ask questions about each meme.

Rocket Design and Customization!

Our first day of rocket building had us outside to apply paint to the payload and fin portion of the rockets. The rain did not stop us from getting creative with our designs. On launch day, we will have an altimeter in the rockets to help measure the altitude and we will see if paint made a difference in performance.