Embedded Files
For each challenge that you complete, we invite you to submit a short video of your work using the links provided. Show us your awesome engineering notebook, your design, and a test! Approved videos will be added to the flipgrid for you to see. For your safety, please do NOT share your full name or school in your video, but you may share your home state. Remember, when building and testing safety is number one. Ask for adult help.
Day 1
Day 1
Goal: Build a paper rocket and develop a consistent procedure for test launches. You will need to be able to adjust the launch angle
Background and Connections:
An experiment is not valid unless it is repeatable! In developing engineering solutions we have to run trials, and you must ensure that the conditions of each test are the same except for the one variable or feature that you are analyzing. For this reason, you will need to develop a consistent way to launch your straw rocket. View the video linked on the left and build a straw rocket. If you don't have a straw, look around and see what you can substitute.
Imagine: When people build these rockets just to play with they will use their breath to provide the force needed to launch the rocket. We built these for more than just a toy! We want to do some physics experiments! An experiment is not valid unless it is repeatable, so if we use our breath to provide the force to launch the rocket it would be very difficult to make that standard for every launch. So, look around to see what you have that you could connect to the straw to provide a standard amount of force. Brainstorming time!
Collect information: How have others approached this challenge? Well, if we were at school, you might have one of the launchers seen in the video on the left available.
What can you invent to do the job? Do you have any other toys around that could be used to help? Look in your recycling bin. What do you have available to work with? Discuss your ideas with the adults around you. Write your ideas in your engineering notebook! This could be on paper or in a digital format. Paper is nice so you can easily sketch.
This is a difficult challenge! If you just don't have any materials available to make a launcher, then practice your launch technique until you can get a similar result 5 times in a row. This will allow you to continue on with the later rocket challenges.
This is a design that John Jogerst shared (https://www.aiaa.org/docs/default-source/uploadedfiles/education-and-careers/stem-k-12-outreach/kids-place/rockets-activities/straw-rocket-plans-and-activities.pdf?sfvrsn=c65506de_0 ) that costs under $10 if you were to purchase the materials. But, can you use found items in your house to make something similar?
Develop and Test : Build your design and test it. Can you launch your rockwt and get very similar results in multiple trials? If so, you are ready to move on to the next challenge!
Show us your design! Tell us how it works!
Day 2
Day 2
Goal:
Imagine:
Collect information:
Develop and Test Solutions:
Improve!
Day 4
Day 4
Goal:
Imagine:
Collect information:
Develop and Test Solutions:
Improve! M
Day 5
Day 5
Goal:
Imagine:
Collect information:
Develop and Test Solutions:
Improve!
Other Cool Connections
Other Cool Connections
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