Table Of ContentEducational Guide
Grades
Educators
K–12
EG-2007-12-179-MSFC
Acknowledgements
Adventures in Rocket Science is an expansion of the NASA guidebook
Rockets by Deborah Shearer, Greg Vogt and Carla Rosenberg.
New and additional material was written and compiled by:
Vince Huegele, Marshall Space Flight Center Scientist and
National Association of Rocketry (NAR) Education Chair
Kristy Hill, Education Specialist for WILL Technology,
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Brenda Terry, Executive Director, Alabama Mathematics,
Science and Technology Education Coalition (AMSTEC)
This document was produced through
The NASA Explorer Institute (NEI)
Funding for the development of this
rocketry guidebook for Informal Education
was provided by NASA Explorer Institute
and directed by the Marshall Space Flight Center
Academic Affairs Office 2008.
i
Table of Contents
Adventures in Rocket Science Activity Matrix ....................................................................... v
Standards ............................................................................................................................... vi
How to Use this Guide ........................................................................................................... vii
Adventures in Rocket Science Introduction: Flight of a Model Rocket .................................. 1
Practical Rocketry .................................................................................................................. 7
A Brief History of Rockets ...................................................................................................... 17
Rocket History Glossary ........................................................................................................ 24
Constellation Program America’s Fleet of Next Generation Launch Vehicles ....................... 27
Activities ................................................................................................................................. 31
1. Move It! .................................................................................................................... 32
2. Magic Marbles ......................................................................................................... 35
3. Shuttle Drag Parachute ............................................................................................ 38
4. Paper Rockets ......................................................................................................... 43
5. Straw Rockets .......................................................................................................... 49
6. Rocket Racer ........................................................................................................... 50
7. 3-2-1 POP! ............................................................................................................... 58
8. Newton Car .............................................................................................................. 62
9. Pop Can Hero Engine .............................................................................................. 68
10. Rocket Transportation ............................................................................................. 74
11. Parachute Area Versus Drop Time ........................................................................... 77
12. Balloon Staging ........................................................................................................ 83
13. Water Bottle Rocket Assembly ................................................................................ 85
14. The Nose Cone Experts ........................................................................................... 90
iii
15. Racing Against Friction ............................................................................................ 95
16. The Parachuting Egg ................................................................................................ 100
17. Egg Drop Lander ...................................................................................................... 103
18. At the Drop of a Ball ................................................................................................. 105
19. Free Fall Rocket Ball Drop ....................................................................................... 107
20. Altitude Tracking ...................................................................................................... 109
21. The Scale of a Model Rocket ................................................................................... 117
22. Rocket Motion Video Studies .................................................................................. 120
23. Rocket Parachute Flight Duration Study .................................................................. 123
24. Predicting and Measuring Rocket Parachute Drift Rate .......................................... 126
25. Project Enterprise .................................................................................................... 128
Glossary ................................................................................................................................. 143
Appendix A – Assembly Instructions....................................................................................... 145
Appendix B – Rocket Safety Code .......................................................................................... 155
Appendix C – Rocket Principles .............................................................................................. 159
Appendix D – Rocketry Resource Materials ........................................................................... 165
iv
Adventures in Rocket Science Activity Matrix
r
n e
o b
Grade Level Groups Activity ti m
1-3 4-6 7-9 10-12 Altitude Velocity Accelera Page Nu
1 Move It! (balloon direction) X 32
2 Magic Marbles X 35
3 Shuttle Drag Parachute X 38
4 Paper Rockets X X 43
5 Straw Rockets X 49
6 Rocket Racer X 50
7 3-2-1 POP! X X X 58
8 Newton Car X 62
9 Pop Can Hero Engine 68
10 Rocket Transportation X 74
11 Parachute Area Versus Drop Time X 77
12 Balloon Staging X 83
13 Water Bottle Rocket Assembly X X X 85
14 The Nose Cone Experts X 90
15 Racing Against Friction X 95
16 The Parachuting Egg X 100
17 Egg Drop Lander 103
18 At the Drop of a Ball X X 105
19 Free Fall Rocket Ball Drop X 107
20 Altitude Tracking X 109
21 The Scale of a Model Rocket X X 117
22 Rocket Motion Video Studies X 120
23 Predicting and Measuring Rocket Parachute Drift Rate 123
24 Rocket Parachute Flight Duration X 126
25 Project Enterprise (2 weeks) X X X 128
Legend: X : Denotes the primary target word focus (altitude, velocity and/or acceleration).
: Denotes secondary target word.
: Denotes suggested grade level.
v
Standards
Science Standard
nt gy
s me olo
Activity cience as Inquiry hysical Science osition and Motion of Objects roperties of Objects and Material nifying Concepts and Processes hange, Consistency and Measure vidence, Models and Explanation cience and Technology bilities of Technological Design nderstanding Science and Techn
S P P P U C E S A U
Move It! (balloon direction) X X X
Magic Marbles X X X X X X
Shuttle Drag Parachute X X X X
Paper Rockets X X X X X X X X
Straw Rockets X X X X X X X X
Rocket Racer X X X X X X
3-2-1 POP! X X X X X
Newton Car X X X X X X
Pop Can Hero Engine X X X X X X X
Rocket Transportation X X X X X
Parachute Area Versus Drop Time X X X X X X X X X
Balloon Staging X X X X X
Water Bottle Rocket Assembly X X X X
The Nose Cone Experts X X X X X
Racing Against Friction X X X X X X
The Parachuting Egg X X X X X X X X
Egg Drop Lander X X X X X X X X
At the Drop of a Ball X X X
Free Fall Rocket Ball Drop X X X
Altitude Tracking X X X X X
The Scale of a Model Rocket X X X X X X
Rocket Motion Video Studies X X X X X X X X
Predicting and Measuring Rocket Parachute Drift Rate X X X X X X
Rocket Parachute Flight Duration X X X X X X
Project Enterprise (2 weeks) X X X X X
vi
How to Use This Guide
Acknowledgements Examine the matrix for a grade level band
The excitement and thrill from experiencing (e.g., grades 1–3). Select a target word
the launch of rocket-powered vehicles ignites located in that grade level band (e.g.,
engagement and imagination in children as velocity). The activity, “Move It!” will address
well as adults. Constructing and launching the concept of velocity. Activities are
model rockets certainly provided a charge included within each grade level band to
of excitement among a group of National address the three target concepts. Some
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) activities can be used to address multiple
and higher education professionals as they target words. The length of time for each
planned an Exploration Systems Mission activity is approximately one or two hours
Directorate (ESMD) sponsored K-12 rocketry with the exception of the Project Enterprise
curriculum and mentor/coach workshop. activity which can take up to two weeks to
complete.
This guide was prepared as a tool useful
for informal education venues (4-H, Boys The guide includes a compilation of NASA-
and Girls Clubs, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, developed and originally developed activities
etc.), science clubs and related programs, that emphasize hands-on involvement,
and can be adopted for formal education prediction, data collection and interpretation,
settings. An exciting and productive study in teamwork, and problem solving. Project
rocket science can be implemented using the background and an edited, student-friendly
selected activities for the above-mentioned version of The History of Rocketry is
settings. The guide’s activities can be included. The guide includes an appendix
correlated to meet formal education’s core with construction directions for various
curriculum objectives or used for ancillary project activities, safety guidelines and a
enrichment and extension activities. glossary of terms.
The series of activities in this guide
require basic, inexpensive materials. They
demonstrate fundamental principles of
rocket science. The activities were selected
and organized around the target concepts
of altitude, velocity and acceleration (i.e.,
height, distance and speed). The Adventures
in Rocket Science Activity Matrix on page v
organizes the activities by suggested grade
level bands as well as target concepts.
vii
