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40min
Grades: 2,3,4,5,Other
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Explore Technology: How to Build a Rocket?

ENGINEERING&TECHNOLOGY, PHYSICAL SCIENCES
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Get curious

7 min
Video/ Slide show (7 min)

Watch a film showing the launch of a space shuttle.

You can ask the students: What happens at the moment a spacecraft (space shuttle) is launched? How is a space shuttle built? What shape is it? Does the rocket fly straight up or does it change direction? How fast can a rocket fly? How much does it weigh?

Clicking play will redirect you to YouTube website.
Facts about spacecrafts

Get going

3 min
Experiment (3 min)

The students observe what happens when an inflated but untied balloon is released into the air and find out what forces act on it.

Each team receives a balloon. The students blow up their balloons, but without tying them. They then let go of them in the air. What will happen to the balloon? Why does this happen? The same law of physics applies to the flight of a rocket.
Forces acting on a balloon & rocket
12 min
Constructing (12 min)

The students construct a model rocket, which will fly upward in the air.

Instructions
5 min
Experiment (5 min)

While students are making their model rockets they will perform an aerodynamic test – they will check whether the center of gravity is located in the right place.

The students draw their first conclusions on the construction of their models and the factors which must be taken into account if the rocket is be able to shoot upwards. If, because the ballast is poorly positioned on the rocket, the model fails the test the students improve their model and then perform another test.


Instructions
Aerodynamic test - instruction photos
10 min
Presenting results (10 min)

See whether your rocket shoots up into the air!

Perform your rocket tests outside, e.g., in the school yard. Before you do, watch a film about testing rockets: 


Clicking play will redirect you to YouTube website.
Instructions
3 min
Conclusions (3 min)

Which rocket flew the highest?

Exchange observations and conclusions on the flight of your rockets.


Get ready for Qs

Get practicing

Video/ Slide show

The students watch a film about a plane taking off and compare it with the launch of a rocket they saw at the beginning of class.

What differences did they notice during the lift off of each machine? What did they see that was similar? What shape do these machines have? They can note down their observations. Talk about them in the next class. 


Clicking play will redirect you to YouTube website.

Get ready

Prepare the materials that will be needed to test the rockets (see instruction photos)

1. Heat the cork in a microwave for approximately 1 minute so that it expands. Alternately, wrap apply several layers of grey adhesive tape around the cork. The cork must be made bigger so that it can get inside the mineral water bottle and remain stuck in the bottle neck.

2. Drill an 8 mm thick hole in the cork vertically with a drill.

3. Insert a valve into the cork.

4. Insert pump needle adaptor into valve

(See what rocket testing looks like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VskI8qGrY7g)


Prepare the materials - instruction photos

Part of the class, i.e. rocket firing, will take place outside.



Get Going


Experiment: Inflated but untied balloon released into the air

Constructing: The students construct a model rocket
Materials – for one team (to prepare 1 rocket)
Experiment: An aerodynamic test

Presenting results: See whether your rocket shoots up into the air!


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Life Skills:

  • Critical thinking and drawing conclusion
  • Creative problem-solving
  • Teamwork and collaboration skills
  • Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship
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Authors

Author: Szymon Gryś
Methodology: Monika Zwierko
Translation: Jason Lowther
Producer: Marta Przywara

Source

This lesson plan is a modification of one created by the Children’s University Foundation under the CC-BY-NC-SA 3.0 license.


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Explore Technology: How to Build a Rocket?

Explore Technology: How to Build a Rocket?

In teams, the students will build model rockets, which they will test fire into the air.
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