Curated OER
Water Rocket
Students study the basic operation of a water rocket. For this propulsionlesson students complete several experiments on constructing a bottle rocket launcher.
Curated OER
Alka-Seltzer Rockets: How to Build Your Own Rocket
Students create a rocket using Alka-seltzer of baking soda and vinegar. For this physics lesson, students identify the factors affecting the length of time the rocket is propelled. They relate this activity to actual rocket launched in...
Curated OER
Model Rockets
Students study the basics of a model rocket and its classifications. In this rocket lesson students determine the flight duration of a model rocket.
NASA
Egg Drop Lander
You have to crack a few eggs to make a good engineer! Working in small groups, young scholars design, build, and test devices that protect an egg from breaking when dropped from a ladder.
Curated OER
Physics: Water-Bottle Rockets
Students research how physics laws create motion and propel rockets. They examine how to build water-bottle rockets.
Curated OER
Blast Off!
Students 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 Hazel...
Curated OER
Rocket Physics
Students investigate the relationship between impulse, momentum, kinetic and potential energy and aerodynamic drag. For this physics lesson, students calculate data taken from launching a rocket. They compare the theoretical and...
Curated OER
Bottle Rocket Lesson
Pupils design a rocket that stays on air for the longest period of time. In this physics lesson, students research the function of different rocket components. They test their design and make necessary modifications.
Curated OER
Newton Rocket Car
Students observe a demonstration of Newton's third law of motion using a small wooden car. They discuss Newton's third law of motion and what happens to motion if the mass or acceleration is increased, construct their car, and record...
NASA
NASA Engineering Design Challenges - Spacecraft Structures
What kind of design challenges are there in building structures to support rocket engines? The unit takes design teams through the process of building the lightest possible thrust support structure that can withstand the necessary forces...
PBS
Reading Adventure Pack: Animals
Scholars explore the animal kingdom with help from two texts, Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey and A Bed for the Winter by Karen Wallace. The literature and informational text set the learning stage for thoughtful discussion and...
Teach Engineering
The Great Gravity Escape
Groups simulate an orbit using a piece of string and a water balloon. Individuals spin in a circular path and calculate the balloon's velocity when the clothes pin can no longer hold onto the balloon.
Beauty and Joy of Computing
Combining List Operations
Use list operations to modify an earlier version of Tic Tac Toe. The fourth lab in a series of five has pupils combine list operations to build more powerful operations. They take a project from a previous unit and enhance it to keep...
Curated OER
Build a Bubble-Powered Rocket
In this law of action and reaction worksheet, students build a bubble powered rocket using a film canister, paper and effervescing tablets to create bubbles inside the canister of the rocket. The pressure inside causes the canister to...
Curated OER
Spin Stabilization
Students investigate methods used by aeronautical engineers to keep rockets on target. After exploring the center of gravity and the center of pressure, students build water rockets. Students use various methods to design fins on the...
Curated OER
How High did My Rocket go?
Students shoot off a rocket and measure the trig ratios relation. In this geometry lesson, students practice using an inclinometer to figure out how high their rockets fly. They measure angles and height and relate it to gravity and...
Curated OER
The Eggonaut
Students build a rocket. In this hands-on rocket activity, students work with classmates to create a rocket out of a 2-liter bottle that will protect a raw egg. The goal is to be the team with the rocket which spent the longest time...
Curated OER
Fuel Mystery Dis-Solved
Students describe how temperature and surface area exposure affect the rate at which fuel is consumed. They explain why engineers want to know about the properties of a fuel when designing rockets. They create a bar graph of result data.
Curated OER
Straw Rockets in Flight! Engineer's Delight
Sixth graders study air compression and how it can power a rocket. In this creative lesson students work with a partner and build a rocket then compare air compressions and graph their results.
Curated OER
Balloon Rockets
Students build pinwheel airplanes and balloon rockets to determine which ones fly faster and which fly farther.
Curated OER
Launching Rockets
Second graders discuss experiences of watching a rocket launch either on television or in person before making paper rockets. They make and color rockets which they attempt to launch using a strong breath blown through a straw at the...
Curated OER
Aerospace Engineering
Twelfth graders examine the physics of rocket flight. They build and launch model rockets to measure their performances.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Attitude Determines Altitude
A fabulous lesson plan which combines mathematics with space science. Middle schoolers work in cooperative groups in order to research early astronauts and their accomplishments. They look at a variety of rocket and space shuttle...
Curated OER
Designing a Crew Exploration Vehicle
Take your class on an out-of-this-world adventure with this fun engineering design lesson. Working in small groups, young scientists design, build, and test crew exploration vehicles using some creativity, teamwork, and...