Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Balloon Rockets
In this activity, students will learn that compressed air creates pressure to propel an air balloon. Students will create a graph in their science journals based on the relationship between the number of air pumps and the distance the...
Science Bob Pflugfelder
Science Bob: Make Your Own Balloon Rocket!
This site contains a brief procedure for building (and launching) a balloon powered rocket. Introduces concepts of air pressure and propulsion.
NASA
Nasa: Rockets Educator Guide: Rocket Races
This lesson allows students to create their own rockets using foam trays and drinking straws that are powered by a balloon. Students will race their rockets on a track and determine why some rockets moved faster than others.
NASA
Nasa: Rockets Educator Guide: Heavy Lifting
A lesson plan for students to construct balloon powered rockets. Students will be given the same materials to construct their own rocket and then have a contest to see who can launch the highest paperclip from their rocket.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Mn Step: States of Matter: Which Will Propel the Balloon?
For this activity, students take part in a simulation of the three states of matter where they role play being molecules. They then create simple balloon rockets and must explain why a gas is the only state of matter that can cause the...
Discovery Education
Discovery Education: 3 M Young Scientist Lab: Two Stage Ballon Rocket
Build a multistage rocket from two balloons.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Mn Step: Why Does It Go So Fast? Investigating Rockets
After reading a book about movement and speed, students blow up a balloon and release it. During questioning and discussion, they are guided to make a connection between the balloon and a rocket.
Michigan Reach Out
Nasa Teacher's Resource Center: Balloon Staging
Activity to show student how rockets reach high altitudes.
Michigan Reach Out
Nasa: Rocket Activity: Rocket Pinwheel
This site provides directions for a basic activity that allows students to explore Newton's Third Law of Motion.
Science Museum of Minnesota
Science Museum of Minnesota: Air Cluster
Interesting site with links to activities about wind and air in many forms. Browse the different activities and investigations on the properties of air on the toolbar to the left of the page.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Mechanics Mania
Through ten lessons and numerous activities, students explore the natural universal rules engineers and physicists use to understand how things move and stay still. Together, these rules are called "mechanics." The study of mechanics is...