This lesson discusses with students what a rocket is, and how they work (grade level appropriate) and makes a connection to Newton’s Laws for the older students. Students are then introduced to the important parts of a rocket. They will build their own straw rockets and launch them using our straw rocket launchers. Students will experiment with force and pressure and have the opportunity to connect changes in momentum to force; and changes in force to momentum.
They will need space around the room to safely test/launch their straw rockets. (Other large rooms like a gym or cafeteria are ideal, as well as the hallway if other classes won’t be disturbed.) (Most appropriate for grade levels 3-9).
Science Standards:
4.PS.2: Energy can be transferred from one location to another or can be transformed from one form to another.
5.PS.1: The amount of change in movement of an object is based on the mass of the object and the amount of force exerted.
6.PS.3: There are two categories of energy: kinetic and potential.
6.PS.4: An object’s motion can be described by its speed and the direction in which it is moving.
7.PS.3: Energy can be transformed or transferred but is never lost.
7.PS.4: Energy can be transferred through a variety of ways.
8.PS.2: Forces can act to change the motion of objects.
High School Standards:
P.F.1: Newton’s laws applied to complex problems
P.F.5: Air resistance and drag
PS.FM.2: Forces • Force diagrams • Types of forces (gravity, friction, normal, tension) • Field model for forces at a distance PS.FM.3: Dynamics (how forces affect motion) • Objects at rest • Objects moving with constant velocity • Accelerating objects
STEM Emerging Technology Connections:
Hypersonics and Space Technology: This "Straw Rockets" lesson, exploring force, pressure, and momentum using straw rockets, connects to both Space Technology and Hypersonics. The lesson introduces fundamental rocketry principles, including thrust and the factors affecting it, which are relevant to both space travel and achieving hypersonic speeds. The experimentation with different launch parameters allows students to explore how changes in force and pressure impact the rocket's trajectory and distance traveled, mirroring the challenges of controlling flight in both space and hypersonic regimes.