This activity is a hands-on investigation that teaches students that air resitance affects how things move and that pressure from compressed air can move things.

Experiment with rocket designs and a PVC launcher to discover how high—and how far—you can make your rockets go.

Conceptual Physics is a year-long course based on CK-12 OER instructional material and supplemented with limited commercially-available materials. The course is project-based, argument-driven inquiry. Each unit begins with presentation of an intriguing phenomenon, followed by an essential question about the phenomenon, and a project centered on answering that essential question. Throughout the unit, students conduct research and investigations to answer portions of the question. Each unit has a student "Task" at the end that serves as an assessment of the unit's concepts. At the end of each unit, students assemble all of the unit tasks and synthesize a personal final project that answers the essential question in a personal context chosen by the student.

This Super Lesson utilizes Project Based Learning to assist learners with designing, building, and testing flying contraptions as an introduction to Engineering. The goal of this project is to engage students in collaborative team work and to introduce students to the Science and Engineering Practices: Asking Questions and Defining Problems, Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, and Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

We have offered this Super Lesson as an 8-week elective course, developing and strengthening student interest in applied Math and Science topics. It could also be offered within upper elementary or middle school Science and Math courses. In addition, each week’s topic could be used as a stand alone mini-lesson if time is limited. We have worked to include multiple options within this unit to make it accessible to both general education and special education programs, including recommendations for modifications and extensions.

In this activity, students investigate the simulated use of solid rocket fuel by using an antacid tablet. Students observe the effect that surface area and temperature has on chemical reactions. Also, students compare the reaction time using two different reactants: water and vinegar. Finally, students report their results using a bar graph.

A Mini book that is an overview of the US Space Race and how it evolved. Listed in the Index is the State of Texas TEKS for the EOC Grade 11 Exit Test.  Some of these TEKS cross over into WW1 and WW2 as well. It is not meant as a definitive resource, but rather a jumping-off point for young teachers of Social Studies, Science, STEM, or STEAM-related courses to inject some cross-curricular reading and writing and to promote critical thinking and a source of context for those courses aforementioned. It is also a starting point for activities (graphic organizers) and videos for classroom use or online learning purposes. It can be adapted to as low as 5th grade but only for supplemental purposes as their TEKS do not address this period.

This resource will primarily be used prior to going to outdoor school for a 5th grade class. Though some of the resources might seem like a stretch for that age range it allows for some differentiation for those students that are looking to expand their knowledge base. In addition, this journal covers some basic rules and guidelines for living within a group of people which is why we include some dining etiquette.

This part of the course Introduction to Aerospace Engineering is focused on two aerospace disciplines: "space and orbital mechanics" and "structures and materials". These topics are discussed in detail and will provide an understanding for both aircraft and for spacecraft/space missions. Study Goals- List/describe the reasons for going into space and the principles of rockets, including their trajectories.- Motivate the selection of spacecraft configurations depending on the mission and identify the main elements of a satellite.- Describe the features of the space environment and their consequences for space activities.- Determine elementary satellite orbits, transfer orbits and maneuvers- Describe and work with elementary space propulsion aspects: launch, velocity budget and rocket equation- List the characteristics of typical aerospace materials & structures and describe their meaning and relevance- List the main structural elements of an aerospace vehicle and describe their functions and performance

This course presents aerospace propulsive devices as systems, with functional requirements and engineering and environmental limitations along with requirements and limitations that constrain design choices. Both air-breathing and rocket engines are covered, at a level which enables rational integration of the propulsive system into an overall vehicle design. Mission analysis, fundamental performance relations, and exemplary design solutions are presented.

In this activity, students revisit the Pop Rockets activity from Lesson 3. This time, however, the design of their pop-rockets will be limited by budgets and supplies. They will get a feel for the limitations of a real engineering project as well as an opportunity to redesign and retest their rockets.

In this activity, students investigate the effect that thrust has on rocket flight. Students will make two paper rockets that they can launch themselves by blowing through a straw. These "strawkets" will differ in diameter, such that students will understand that a rocket with a smaller exit nozzle will provide a larger thrust. Students have the opportunity to compare the distances traveled by their two strawkets after predicting where they will land. Since each student will have a slightly different rocket and launching technique, they will observe which factors contribute to a strawket's thrust and performance.

In this activity, students investigate the effect that weight has on rocket flight. Students construct a variety of their own straw-launched rockets, or "strawkets," that have different weights. Specifically, they observe what happens when the weight of a strawket is altered by reducing its physical size and using different construction materials. Finally, the importance of weight distribution in a rocket is determined.

My students would have a good time comparing what the rockets look like and how they are similar and different. You could then take it to the next step and talk about how rockets actually work and then even have a discussion about which design then you think would be better.