Curated OER
Action-Reaction! Rocket
Students 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...
Discovery Education
Stomp Rockets
Watch the excitement grow as learners experiment with homemade rockets. Pupils create their own rockets from a soda bottle and experiment with launch angles. They discover the launch angle has a significant effect on the distance the...
Curated OER
The Dawn Mission: Ion Rockets and Spiral Orbits
For this ion rocket and orbits worksheet, students read about the spiral orbit the Dawn spacecraft took due to its ion rocket motor. Students solve 3 problems including finding the path taken by the spacecraft, determining the total path...
New York City Department of Education
Straw Rockets
Scholars become rocket scientists as they take off on a journey exploring Newton's laws of motion. After learning the laws of motion, pupils design their own investigations using straw rockets. They highlight their literacy skills in a...
Curated OER
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.
NASA
Soda Straw Rockets
Three, two, one, blast off to a better understanding of force and motion with this exciting science lesson! Beginning with a discussion about rockets and gravity, young scientists go on to complete a series of worksheets about net...
Curated OER
Exploring the Ares 1-X Launch-Downrange Distance
In this Ares 1-X launch learning exercise, 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...
Curated OER
Time Travel to the Edge of the Universe and Back!
Students analyze the size of the universe and calculate the time to travel to near and distant destinations.
Center for Math and Science Education
Solar System Launch
Trying to understand the vastness of outer space can be quite a challenge for young scientists. Help put things in perspective with this cross-curricular activity as students work in pairs creating scaled models of...
DiscoverE
Air-Powered Mini Rocket
Does the position of the clips make a difference? The activity provides directions to build and test a paper rocket. Pupils attach paper clips to the rocket in different configurations and measure the distance the rocket flies each time....
Curated OER
Strawkets and Thrust
Learners investigate the effect of thrust on rocket flight. They construct two paper rockets, one with a smaller exit nozzle, and compare/contrast the distances traveled by the rockets.
Curated OER
Physics Lab Rockets
Students construct and test balloon rockets and a model rocket. In this rocket science instructional activity, students use an inquiry-based method to master balloon rockets and have a shoot-off with the goal of attaining the highest...
Curated OER
Soda Straw Rocket Activity
Students construct a rocket using soda straw. In this physics lesson, students determine the nose cone length that produces the best rocket. They explain the importance of using a control in an experiment.
NASA
Newton Car
If a car gets heavier, it goes farther? By running an activity several times, teams experience Newton's Second Law of Motion. The teams vary the amount of weight they catapult off a wooden block car and record the distance the...
Curated OER
Rocket to Success
Pupils investigate action and reaction. In this energy lesson, students use a balloon and string to create a simple rocket. The will collect quantitative data record their observations, and relate their observations to Newton's Law...
Curated OER
The Rocket Sled
In this secondary mathematics worksheet, learners use the given information regarding a rocket’s distance and time to calculate the speed of sound. The one page worksheet contains one problem with the solution.
Curated OER
Rocket Science
Students conduct an experiment. In this physical science lesson, students learn about Isaac Newton's theory that for every action there is an equal but opposite reaction. Students show this theory by looking at how a rocket is propelled...
Curated OER
Balloon Jets
Learners investigate how fuel amount affects the distance traveled by balloons. In this physics lesson, students collect data and create a pictograph. They interpret data and formulate a conclusion.
Curated OER
Newton Gets Me Moving
Students discuss Newton's laws of motion. The conduct motion experiments by building "Newton Rocket Cars" from assorted materials. They propel the cars with rubber bands and wooden blocks and record the distance traveled on data sheets.
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...
Friends of Fort McHenry
Cannons During the War of 1812
During the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812, only 25% of the bombs and rockets fired at Fort McHenry actually reached their target. Using an interactive online simulation, combine your historical study with physics and...
Curated OER
Propulsion Pop!
Students demonstrate an understanding of the text by completing a propulsion activity, charting the results, and answering questions that demonstrate an understanding of rocket propulsion.
CCSS Math Activities
Satellite
This isn't rocket science, you know. A performance task has learners use right triangle trigonometry to calculate distances from stations on Earth to a satellite. It also requires finding the distance between two stations along the...
Curated OER
Newton's Third Law of Motion
Students move through five stations demonstrating Newton's Third Law of Motion. For this Newtonian physics lesson, students watch as the instructor uses a firecracker to demonstrate action and reaction. The students travel to five...