Script: Welcome again to the Ingenia Space Camp. Today you will be working as aerospace engineers in the Launching Lab. Aerospace engineers help to design rockets and spacecrafts to safely carry astronauts. (show the following video)
SpaceX rocket lifts off from U.S. in history-making flight (www.youtube.com/@CTVNews)
Today you will learn how to launch a rocket. You will design, build and launch a model rocket. Are you excited about this task? Let’s get started!
Note: For safety reasons, the use of goggles is recommended for any person near the canisters as they pop and when launching the rockets.
Script: In order to launch a rocket we need to understand some science concepts. Let’s watch a video that explains the science behind the launching of a rocket:
How Does A ROCKET FLY | How Do Rockets Work | ROCKET LAUNCH | The Dr Binocs Show | Peekaboo Kidz (www.youtube.com/@Peekaboo_Kidz)
A large, heavy rocket needs a lot of energy to launch. Today you will be building a model rocket which will be much smaller. Will your rocket need as much energy to move? (pause for students to answer no) The energy for your rockets will come from this (show the tablet of antacid) This tablet of antacid contains stored chemical energy that can be released in the presence of water. (Demonstrate by having one of the containers filled halfway with water and adding half of the antacid) What do you notice? (Possible answers bubbling, fizzing, a chemical reaction) Yes, the antacid is reacting with the water and there is carbon dioxide being released from that reaction. Carbon dioxide is a gas. What if I store this gas inside the canister? What if I put the lid on the canister so the gas stays inside? What do you think will happen? (give time for students' predictions; possible answers: it will explode, the gas will put pressure on the lid, the lid will pop) Let’s try it. (Have safety goggles on. Do this demonstration so that students can see the canister but they are safely away from it. Put the other half of the antacid in another canister filled halfway with water and put on the lid. Wait and observe what happens.)
Script: Now it is your turn to design and build a rocket. The materials you will have are paper, tape, and a canister. You get to decide how tall you will make your rocket. You can also draw designs on your rocket and give it a name. (Pass out the materials and copies of the directions on how to build the rockets) https://www.teachengineering.org/content/cub_/activities/cub_rockets/cub_rockets_lesson04_activity3_instructions.pdf
*Note: This activity is adapted and modified from TeachEngineering.org
Note to teacher: Find a suitable wall for students to test the rockets. Use tape or chalk to mark 10 feet of height at 1 foot intervals. Students will test their rockets one at a time while other students observe and collect data. The student testing and the teacher should be wearing goggles. The rest of the students should be at a safe distance from the launching area. You can launch the rockets from the floor or have an empty pitcher to place them in. There will be spills of water during the launch.
Safety Caution: Keep the antacids away from the students. Have the antacids with you at all times and give them to students at the moment of launching only.
Have copies of the Pop Rockets: Launch Results recording sheet available so students can record the results.
Look at the results of the testing with the students. Observe any patterns. Discuss the following questions with the class:
Script: Which rockets go higher, the shorter ones or the taller ones? What else might affect the height the rockets reach? Let’s do another experiment to test that idea.
Paper Rockets - STEM Activity (sciencebuddies.org)
What did you learn about rocket design in this experiment?
As time permits, you can have students experiment with different amounts of water and tablet sizes. Make sure students wear safety glasses/goggles when launching their rockets.
You can also have students launch for distance instead of height. Have them measure the launch angle and record data for multiple angles.
Review the following vocab terms:
rocket: a flying device that uses combustion to move.
combustion: a fast chemical process that produces heat which can be used as energy.
force: an action that changes or maintains the motion of an object.
energy: power, or the ability to do work
fuel: anything that can be a source of energy (you need fuel for combustion).
Students will reflect on their rocket design. Ask them, after testing all the rockets and analyzing the data, if they would make any changes to their design. If they could build another rocket, how would they change it? Students will draw a design for a new rocket and explain the reasons for the new design.
