Teach Engineering
May the Force Be With You: Thrust
Force the plane through the air. The lesson introduces the force on an airplane that makes it go forward. Pupils learn how Newton's laws of motion apply to flight in the eighth segment of a 22-part unit on flight.
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Action-Reaction! Rocket
Learners construct a rocket from a balloon propelled along a guide string. They use this model to learn about Newton's three laws of motion, examining the effect of different forces on the motion of the rocket. They measure the distance...
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Altitude of A Rocket
The first two slides set up the conditions for this "experiment on paper". A fun activity where students chose which of the rockets will fly higher in the situations given. Each slide is followed by an answer page and this...
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Systems, UP, Up and Away!
Students discuss rockets and how they work. Students research basic information about the Space Shuttle. Students work in collaborative groups creating "rockets" with empty film canisters. Students launch their "rockets" and record...
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Antacid Tablet Race
Students complete experiments to determine how rocket fuel is affected by surface area and temperature. They compare the reaction rates of antacid tablets. They discuss their results to complete the instructional activity.
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Alka Rockets
Young scholars design a paper rocket propelled by Alka-Seltzer and water to demonstrate Newton's third law of motion. They, in pairs, determine the best combination of Alka-Seltzer and water to produce the maximum launch height and...
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Newton Gets Me Moving
Fourth graders experiment with Newton's three laws of motion. In this motion instructional activity, 4th graders explore the three laws of motion and then work in small groups collaborating while experimenting with these laws....
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Blast Off!
Fourth graders investigate the third law of motion. In this third law of motion lesson, 4th graders explore the forces necessary for a rocket to launch. Students compare and contrast propellant and fuel. Numerous resources are provided.
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Rockets!!
Students launch a rocket. In this laws of motion lesson, students discuss the forces of flight, how a plane flies and how a rocket gets off the ground. Students watch a video about rocket launches, discuss Newton's Third Law...
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Up, Up and Away
Fourth graders design and launch rockets. In this rocket lesson, 4th graders observe the changes in outcome caused by size and fuel variables. Students navigate the NASA website to learn the parts of a rocket. Students load the...
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Blast Off with Model Rockets
Students investigate science and math by building a rocket. In this geometry lesson, students build a rocket using paper towel tubes while investigating questions about launching a rocket. They discuss balance and unique structure as...
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Blast Off!
Young scholars build their own rockets. In this rocket lesson, students create the highest flying rocket they can powered by effervescent antacid tablets and water in film canisters. They listen to the story How to Build a Rocket by...
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Exploring the Ares 1-X Launch-Downrange Distance
In this Ares 1-X launch worksheet, students read about the path of this rocket's launch and solve 2 problems. Students find the number of seconds it took the rocket to fall from a given altitude and they determine how far from the launch...
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Paper Rockets
Students create rockets to test stability. In this rocketry lesson plan, students discover how rockets fly through air as they follow the procedures included in this activity.
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Payload Rocket
Students continue their examination of how to make a human presence in space. Using Newton's Laws of Motion, they discover the difference a rocket's payload affects the launch of a rocket. They develop a balloon rocket and test its...
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Balloon Rockets
Students, after reviewing and analyzing Newton's third law of motion, make balloon rockets and experiment with a variety of models. After the experiment, they chart the results and form conclusions. In addition, they compare/contrast...
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Rocket Riot
Young scholars form "companies" of 3-4 students and build bottle rockets for analysis and experiment. This lesson uses NASA's RcketModeler Version 1.2 rocket simulator to evaluate each rocket's flight.
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Paper Rockets
Students design, construct, and fly paper rockets that travel the greatest distance possible across a floor model of the solar system. They construct small flying rockets out of paper and propel them by blowing air through a straw.
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Altitude Tracking
Students construct simple altitude tracking devices for determining the altitude a rocket reaches in its flight. They estimate the altitude a rocket achieves during flight.
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Rocket Launch
Students consider constraints which contribute to the design of a model rocket. They begin to analyze a model rocket's design and flight. They must be very specific in their thoughts and discussions.
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Rocket Me into Space
Students engage in a lesson that reinforces rockets as a vehicle that helps us explore outside the Earth's atmosphere by using the principles of Newton's third law of motion. Also, the principles that engineers deal with when building a...
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Rocket Angles
Eighth graders create rockets that be launched at varying angles to determine which angle is best to launch at for the longest distance.
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Motion and Forces
Ninth graders create PowerPoint presentations to present Newton's three laws of motion, and make and launch rockets.
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Pop Rocket - Trash to Treasure
First off, Newton's laws of motion aren't often taught at 2nd grade, so this instructional activity may be more appropriate for upper elementary learners. It begins with a discussion and demonstration of the laws of motion, and then has...