For the past 27 years my Third Grade classes have been building and launching rockets. This has been a tremendous learning experience that has generated lots of interest among the students. Also, some great learning that goes across the curriculum. Many of the students have gone on to build their own rockets at home with the some help from their parents. And then after a little practice they can build them on their own. Over the years this has proven to be a fun and interesting way to get the children involved in new areas of science, math, social studies, and language arts that have challenged their young minds.
1. What is Rocket Club?
2. How do you get started?
3. What do I need to know?
4. Curriculum ideas.
1. What is Rocket Club?
Rocket Club is a voluntary group of students from my room who meet together in the spring in order to build and launch model rockets.
They must pay for the rockets, engines and materials needed in order to do that. The current fee is around $15.00. Estes sells bulk packs of rockets and engines which will save you a lot of money.
I purchase these kits from a local hobby store or retailer. The store I work with gives us a 20% discount off the retail price because we are a school club. You can also purchase the kits directly from Estes Industries at that same 20% discount. Also now you can go on-line and find some great deals.
We meet once a week, beginning in late April, over the lunch hour, in order to construct the rocket kits.After we complete building the kits, then we launch the rockets at a local park area which has a very large open space. You need lots of room in order to insure safety and a successful retrieval when they come floating back to earth.
Safety is a primary consideration and you need to follow the safety instructions contained in the kits for both construction and launch.
2. How do you get started?
As with any new area in your curriculum the ball is in your court. I first started after taking a college level class on, īTeaching Aviation and Aerospace.ķ One of the assignments for the course was to build a model rocket of our own. This was a great way to find out first hand what it takes in order to build model rockets. There is no substitute for hands on training.
Next, contact a local hobby store and find out if they can help you with technical assistance or maybe even come and help you get the first year off the ground by coming in and teaching the club for you. Be creative, but don't give up on the idea.
Start collecting the money about a month in advance, so you have time to order the kits and for them to get there. Set a launch date toward the end of the school year, but leave a few days in cases of bad weather. Line up some parent volunteers to help in the classroom construction process. You need extra hands and eyes at the third grade level in order to insure that mistakes are caught and corrected. Do the construction project in a lock step manner with every student on the same step. That way everyone can understand the building process and be sure they follow along with the directions in the kit. When all else fails, follow the directions.
3. What do I need to know?
All you need is the confidence that you can do it. Your class will absolutely love it and I get told every year that there are children who will die to get in my room so they can build rockets. It is a challenge but, worth the effort and after the first year it just starts to fall in place and then it is easy.
4. Curriculum Ideas
Science - This is the biggie. Newton's Laws of physical science are probably the greatest area of scientific learning that will fit into the curriculum. I enjoy teaching about gravity and mass in motion, these are easily taught using model rockets. You can get real sophisticated or keep it fairly simple. The U.S. space exploration program is another area to jump off into. Estes Industries put out some wonderful science materials to go along with their rocket kits. You can write to them at: Estes Industries, 1295 H St., Penrose, CO 81240.
Social Studies - You can talk about the aerospace industry and jobs, future transportation prospects, the history of space exploration and rockets, and living in space for just a few.
Math - This is an area where you can weigh and measure, calculate height or distance or closest to the launch point, or make up your own ideas.
Language Arts - Read about rockets and space travel, write your own space or rocket adventure, learn about astronauts, these are just a few ideas.
Art - There are wonderful art projects such as building a space station out of junk material, drawing pictures of your rocket on a space adventure, creating a futuristic picture in space, or designing your own rocket. The sky is the limit.
Here at Morning Star School we are now doing Rocket Club with all of the Third Grades. I do a training class for parents who will then direct the construction in their teachers classroom. We build the rockets over the lunch hour and it takes between 4 and 5 sessions to complete the kits. Also extra volunteer parents are a great asset.
Then we pick a launch day and the fun begins.
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Jim Good
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