Middle School Rocket Launch
The new year is often celebrated with skyrockets exploding in the night sky. People love to watch them, but not everyone understands how they work. Some science teachers will use things like stomp rockets to demonstrate to their students the basics of rocket science. But what if there was a better way to show young, inquisitive minds how rocket launching works? Back in late October, St. Peter’s middle school science teacher, Ms. Quillo, was up to the task of navigating this challenge so that her 6th and 8th grade students could carry out a more realistic method of launching rockets.
In the weeks leading up to the launch, each of the students built their own rockets. During the construction process, they chose the rocket design and the number of fins, which were determinants in how far they would fly. Another variable in the flying distance was the weight of the rocket. Some students chose to paint their rockets and add extra embellishments. These extras made some of the rockets heavier, so they did not fly as high or as far. The better the construction, the better the performance.
Both the 6th and 8th grade classes did this lab. For the 6th graders, this was their first science lab of the school year, and they were so excited to have a hands-on experience to learn the basics of rocket science. The 8th graders had done the lab once as 6th graders but were studying gas behavior this fall, so rockets fit perfectly. Their studies went more in-depth into how the gas laws applied to the rocket launcher.
October 30 was a gorgeous launch day! The classes were so excited to get outside and watch how far their rockets would go. Each student had the chance to fire off their rocket into the back 40, and once they had launched them all, they compared how far they flew. Some of our kindergarten students were very excited spectators to the event! It was an excellent way for the middle school students to apply classroom science lessons to a realistic scenario.
