acknowledgementS - awim.org · *Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), is a global nonprofit...

acknowledgementS This program is a product of SAE International and supported by contributions to the SAE Foundation, Warrendale, Pennsylvania.

David Schutt, Chief Executive OfficerMathew Miller, Director, SAE Foundation & Pre-Professional ProgramsChristopher Ciuca, A World In Motion Program ManagerJulie MacIntyre, A World In Motion Program Developer

Written and Developed in Cooperation with Education Development Center, Inc.*

Kristen Bjork, Senior Project DirectorLorena Martinez-Diaz, Curriculum and Instructional Design Associate IIBernie Zubrowski, Senior Research ScientistKaren Worth, Senior Research ScientistAbigail Jurist Levy, Senior Research ScientistLisa Marco, Research Assistant IIIlene Kantrov, Pathways to College and Careers DirectorRebecca Lewis, Science Content SpecialistNahia Kassas, Senior Administrative AssistantMaria D’Souza, Pathways to College and Careers Financial Manager Christopher Ciuca, A World In Motion Program ManagerJulie MacIntyre, A World In Motion Program Developer

Layout, Design, and Illustrations

Jason Tranchida, LLAMAproduct, Graphic DesignPatricia Konarski, CopyeditorJeanine Reed, Artist

*Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), is a global nonprofit organization that develops, delivers, and evaluates innovative programs designed to address challenges in education, health, and economic development.

Development and distribution for the A World In Motion® Straw Rockets has been made possible, in part, through a generous grant from Nissan North America, Inc.

Advisors, Consultants, and Reviewers

Matthew Miller, Christopher Ciuca, Julie MacIntyre, Kenneth Francis

We would like to thank the following schools and classroom teachers for their participation in the pilot and field testing of Straw Rockets:

Schools

Advanced Technology Academy, Dearborn, MI; Bigfork Elementary School, Bigfork, MT; Howe Elementary School, Detroit, MI; Kent Gardens Elementary School, McLean, VA; Logan Elementary School, Detroit, MI; Lordstown Elementary School, Warren, OH; Richfield Public School Academy, Flint, MI

Classroom Teachers

Lauren Casserino, Meagan DeBruin, Marlene Graban, Beth Haring, Hareem Hanphy, Kerrie Hubbard, Eure Jung, Michelle Kaney, Angel Martin, Jill Morley, Tanya Muzyk, Sneha Patel, Patricia Pattee, Alexandra Ptasienski, Diane Sampson, Usha Shankar, Maria Tucker

Teacher Coordinators

Pamela Haldy, James Nelson, Karen Pogachar, and Jo Weiner

Teacher Advisors

Gary Bechtold, James Otis School, East Boston, MA; Liberta Croce, St. Francis of Assisi School, Medford, MA; Jennifer MacDonald, Plympton Elementary School, Waltham, MA; Elizabeth Merrill, Willard School, Concord, MA; Marlene Tildsley, St. Francis of Assisi School, Medford, MA; Carol Walker, Winship School, Brighton, MA

taBle oF contentS

INTRODUCTION TO A WORLD IN MOTION ............................................. i

BEFORE YOU TEACH STRAW ROCkETS ................................................ xiii

STRAW ROCkETS SCIENCE NOTES ...................................................... xvii

STRAW ROCkETS ACTIVITIES .................................................................. 1

1 · Up, Up, AND AWAY! ..................................................................... 3

2 · HOW DO OUR ROCkETS GO? .................................................... 13

3 · STRAW LENGTH .......................................................................... 19

4 · NOSE WEIGHT ............................................................................ 27

5 · FINS AREN’T jUST FOR FISH! ..................................................... 35

6 · CREATE YOUR OWN ROCkETS ................................................... 41

7 · ROCkET CONTESTS ..................................................................... 47

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a woRld In motIon

Educating Children for Tomorrow’s World

To succeed in the society of tomorrow, all children need an education that prepares them to understand and apply concepts in science, engineering, mathematics, and technology. In addition to becoming literate in these disciplines, students must also learn to solve complex problems, to communicate clearly, to raise and resolve questions, to assimilate information, and to work cooperatively toward common goals. Today’s educators can no longer succeed by presenting students with information and teaching them rote processes. To help them acquire a deep understanding of scientific, mathematical, and engineering phenomena, teachers must provide students with abundant opportunities for direct, hands-on experience with materials and tools and thoughtful discussions about what they are doing. In this way, students become competent and feel confident in their abilities to explore, conjecture, and reason logically, and to gather and manipulate information to arrive at useful knowledge about the world around them. These abilities are strengthened and nurtured when school activities grow out of real problems or situations, and they are further stimulated and developed through the interactive, cooperative processes of discussing, reading, and writing about direct experiences.

SAE International (formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers) has developed A World in Motion® as an opportunity for students and teachers to explore science, engineering, mathematics, and technology by taking on challenges that begin to develop students’ understanding of basic concepts of physical science in an engineering design context.

IntRodUctIon to

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Overview of the Curriculum

A World in Motion for the primary grade levels consists of four challenges suitable for grades Primary. Each of these challenges can be taught over a one- to two-week period:

• Rolling Things: Students explore how changing the ramp height and vehicle weight affect the momentum of toy cars.

• Pinball Designer: Students build, test, and modify a non-electronic pinball machine to create a toy that meets certain specifications.

• Engineering Inspired by Nature: Students investigate seeds that are dispersed by the wind. They apply what they have learned to make paper helicopters and parachutes. They test different variables (length, width, weight, etc.) to see how these factors affect performance.

• Straw Rockets: Students build, test, and modify rockets made from drinking straws. They test the rockets to see how far they can fly.

The four challenges give young students many opportunities to explore a toy they have constructed and to develop an understanding of what it means to conduct a fair test.

As students explore the hands-on materials, they debate and communicate their ideas, test their ideas, and draw their own conclusions based on the evidence they gather. In this way, their experience resembles the work of scientists and engineers. The science notes that accompany each challenge describe for the teacher concepts associated with the performance of the items students build and/or test.

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The Engineering Design Experience

A unique feature of this program is the use of portions of a problem-solving process employed by engineers working in teams and taught at many engineering schools across the country. The “Engineering Design Experience” is a process by which engineers examine what must be accomplished and who the product is for; gather and synthesize information; design, develop, and test a prototype design; and prepare a presentation of their design ideas.

The Engineering Design Experience consists of five phases. Students in the Primary challenges will be introduced to the italicized phases.

Set Goals

Students are introduced to a challenge scenario. They review a toy company’s letter and discuss what is requested of them. Students begin to work in teams and start recording their work.

Build Knowledge

Many activities are included in this phase as students develop the knowledge and skills they will need to do what the toy company has requested. They work with the materials to answer questions, record observations, and discuss results with the rest of the class. Students begin by simply exploring the materials for scaffolded and controlled experiments.

Design

Student teams design their own toy to meet the requirements stated in the toy company’s letter. They determine the values of variables, plan construction, and predict performance based on knowledge from previous activities.

Build and Test

Student teams build and test their design to see how well it meets the performance criteria.

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Present

Student teams make presentations of their work to an audience.

The Engineering Design Experience provides a meaningful and motivating context for the following:

• An exploratory approach to science and engineering education• The development of skills in scientific inquiry (questioning, experimentation,

analysis of relationships and patterns, and drawing conclusions)• An understanding of forces and motion

The Engineering Design Experience embodies principles of design technology. These principles are used by engineers and others who design new products and systems—anything from coffee pots to computer networks. In schools, using technology often refers to integrating computers into the curriculum. Design technology is much broader and involves developing models, evaluating materials, and thinking critically to design a solution to a problem. It requires the following skills:

• Identify problems or design ideas based on needs or wants• Generate and evaluate ideas• Plan and implement solutions• Evaluate solutions• Communicate results

Like design engineers and technologists, students design prototypes, test and modify designs in response to constraints and side effects, and communicate their design ideas and plans both orally and in writing.

Going through the Engineering Design Experience helps students learn firsthand about the following aspects of design technology:

• Developing a prototype helps determine the effectiveness of a design.• Optimizing a design involves adjusting interdependent variables in order

to achieve a desired outcome.• Choosing a strategy to solve a problem depends on the problem posed.

It is worth noting that the A World in Motion Primary challenges do not have students experience all the phases of the Engineering Design Experience, as they primarily explore the Set Goals, Building Knowledge, Testing, and Presenting phases. Students in these grade levels are not expected to have the manual dexterity that older children have, nor the analytical skills necessary to complete a complex design challenge. However, students in grades Primary have the curiosity and skills to be able to explore existing toys, thus undertaking the Build Knowledge, Test, and Present phases of the Engineering Design Experience.

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Curriculum Content, National Standards, and Local Frameworks

Curriculum ContentAlthough students explore and experience specific phases of the Engineering Design Experience such as Building Knowledge and Presenting, the primary focus of the Primary challenges is scientific inquiry with an emphasis on fair testing, as these processes are central to the development of scientific skills and are highlighted in the National Research Council’s (NRC) National Science Education Standards (1996) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s (AAAS) Benchmarks for Science Literacy (1993).

National StandardsThe learning objectives of each challenge correlate strongly with national standards in science and technology education. The NRCs’ National Science Education Standards, AAAS’s Benchmarks for Scientific Literacy, and the International Technology Education Association’s Standards for Technological Literacy were used to complete the correlations. Each document recommends that students have many opportunities to do the following:

• Explore materials and ideas• Ask questions• Propose their own explanations• Test their explanations• Communicate their ideas

A World in Motion embodies the above processes. The Engineering Design Experience provides a meaningful context for students to do scientific research in order to gain knowledge that they will need for developing a successful design. Student understanding of forces and motion develops from their interpretation of the observations they make as they develop and test their toys.

In addition to building scientific knowledge, the students in the K−3 challenges experience real-world applications, and develop and enhance their communication, critical-thinking, and mathematical skills. Therefore, this curriculum also aligns with the Common Core State Standards and the National Councilof Teachers of Mathematics’ Principles and Standards for School Mathematics.

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Local Curriculum FrameworksTeachers and administrators can easily correlate A World in Motion to district and state science curriculum frameworks. Strands most related to this curriculum include those in design and problem solving.

Many local curriculum frameworks include concepts and skills related to the science content of A World in Motion, such as forces and motion and the skills of scientific inquiry. Teachers also may supplement the challenges with additional activities that address these topics more deeply.

Teaching the Challenges

To facilitate student learning, use the information in this section to organize your classroom. You will find techniques and tips for integrating literacy, facilitating discussion, building student teams, creating science notebooks, and assessing student learning, as well as information for obtaining basic sets of construction materials.

Integrating Science and LiteracyThe challenges focus on all dimensions of literacy, including reading; speaking; and representing experiences and ideas through writing, drawing, diagrams, graphs, and charts. By reading about what they are doing; engaging in structured conversation with peers about their observations, plans, and conjectures; and keeping a journal or notebook of their actions and results, students are learning and practicing skills of both science and literacy.

Books

The books that accompany the challenges are used as springboards to the engineering activities and/or as tools for assessing student learning. They cover different genres, including fiction and nonfiction.

The books that have been written specially for each challenge as well as high-quality children’s trade books that relate to the topic at hand provide motivating opportunities for children to read. Different genres, from science fiction and fantasy to biography to informational texts, can inspire children to see themselves in the roles of scientist and engineer, reveal to them the larger historical context of scientific advances, and serve as resources for their own scientific inquiry.

A list of recommended trade books that may be used with the challenges is available on the A World in Motion website.

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Discussions

Talk is critical to conceptual learning. Just as children read to learn, they talk to learn. And at the same time, they are building vocabulary, developing ways to express themselves, learning to share and debate—all important literacy skills. Talk takes place as children work with their peers in small groups, and you should hear a steady hum of talk as children engage in the hands-on activities in these challenges. As you engage with small groups, be careful not to become the source of right answers or right ways of doing things. Avoid answering any of the students’ questions directly. There may be situations when you do not know the answers. Encourage them to learn from their peers or from their own experience or suggest that you and they can work together to find out. When they ask, “How do I do this?” ask them, “How could you figure this out for yourself?” or “Maybe Juan could help you.” They will then learn how to rely on themselves and one another.

You may also want to encourage or challenge the groups with questions and comments such as:

• “I wonder what would happen if…?” • “How did you do that?” • “Could you do it again?” • “Another group did it this way. I wonder if you could?”

Students also learn a great deal in both literacy and science when they come together to talk about their work as a large group. They are practicing an important part of scientific inquiry and that is to compare and debate findings, new ideas, and conclusions just as scientists do. Frequent whole-class discussions help children see the relationship between specific activities and the challenge as a whole. They are also an important assessment tool.

Many teachers shy away from these discussions because they and their students need to learn new skills and strategies to make the discussions successful. In some classrooms, such discussions may already take place in literacy and/or mathematics, and the skills of both teachers and students can be easily adapted to a science discussion. Following are some helpful tips for establishing and facilitating discussions in your classroom.

Setting the Stage/Managing

• Have students meet in a circle on the floor or some other configuration where they can all see each other’s faces rather than in audience style. They pay more attention to each other that way.

• Have physical props—one set of materials—to help focus the discussion and support the students’ description of a phenomenon they have observed or a conclusion they have reached. If students struggle with communicating their ideas, offer them the materials to use at that time.

• Develop an explicit set of norms and expectations for the discussions (e.g., Don’t talk when someone else is talking. Stay on focus. Listen to the

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speaker). The skills needed to follow these norms and expectations will need to be taught and practiced if students have never used them before. (Videotaping children’s discussions and sharing the result with them can help students develop their discussion skills.)

When to Hold Discussions

• Hold numerous whole-group discussions, for example:At the beginning to identify students’ prior knowledgeNear the beginning to discuss why they are doing what they are doingIn the middle when they have completed a task or are developing a new ideaAt the end when final conclusions need to be drawn

Facilitation Strategies

• Start with a productive question or comment.• Use wait time (time between when a question is asked and when an

answer is given and time after an answer is given).• Use strategies that allow students to rehearse what they might say: turn

and talk or quick write.• Redirect student responses so that the talk is not always directed at you.• Intervene to keep the discussion:

Focused on the topicStudent-to-studentShared among all the students

Reminding Students of Work in Previous Activities

Oftentimes, there is a lengthy period between activities. When this happens, youmay need to remind students of their prior work. The following strategies may helpjog students’ memories:

• Quickly recap what students did in their last AWIM activity. Then, toss a small, soft ball to a student and ask a review question. If the student answers the question correctly, he or she chooses who to throw the ball to next. If the student answers the question incorrectly, he or she throws the ball back to you, and you pick the next student.

• Draw a tic-tac-toe grid on a piece of chart paper or a whiteboard. Split the class into two teams. Ask the first team a question about the last activity. If the team answers the question correctly, they fill in a space on the tic-tac-toe grid. Then ask the second team a question, and so on.

• Break the content from the last activity into four or five important concepts that you want students to remember (these could be represented as either pictures or words). Make each concept into jigsaw puzzle, with five or six pieces per puzzle. (Paper plates work great for this!) Jumble the pieces in each puzzle, and give one puzzle to each team of students. When

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students have assembled their puzzles, they share what their puzzle reminded them of from the previous activity.

Many of the discussion skills will need to be taught to students prior to undertaking the challenges. AWIM challenges assume students have the skills but do not include time or guidance for teaching them.

Visual Representations

Considered a 21st-century skill, interpreting and conveying ideas visually is a crucial aspect in the literacy development of students. It involves having students create and explain their ideas and experiences through different types of representations, including drawings, symbols, graphs, charts, pictures, and images. Throughout the challenges, students have ample opportunities to create drawings conveying their observations and graphs to help them draw conclusions based on data.

Science Notebooks

Role of Science Notebooks

The science notebook is the student’s record of his or her work. It is chronological and includes writing, drawing, diagrams, charts, and graphs: whatever is needed to have a full record of their work. These include the following:

• Investigations they undertake• Toys they explore• Tests they carry out• Results of those tests• Questions they ask themselves, other students, or the teacher• Their own ideas, discoveries, and reflections

The Form of the Notebook

The notebook is a chronological document and a complete record of student’s work. Therefore, it is important that the form and format support this. Some possible formats include:

• Bound notebook with any separate pages glued or stapled in• Papers held together with brads so that students can add each new page• A clamp binder• Three ring-binder (but be careful it doesn’t open easily)

Notebook Strategies

If students have not had to keep science notebooks in the past, they will need guidance as to how to keep their notebooks. To aid students in keeping their notebooks, the following should be provided:

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• Models of what a notebook entry should look like• A checklist of important elements• Explicit instructions on various notebook strategies, such as observational

drawing, graphing, bulleted lists, and diagrams• Reminders that students record regularly• Regular feedback to students on their use of notebooks

Authentic Use

A notebook is a record of work for the student, not a project for the teacher. Students need to realize that it is part of their work and necessary to it. A number of instructional strategies facilitate this learning:

• Ask students to use their notebooks to find evidence for the ideas they are discussing.

• Encourage students to look back at previous tasks to help think about new ones.

• Remind students to use their notebooks to gather evidence when they are getting ready to share a conclusion.

• Facilitate looking at previous notebook entries by asking questions during class.

• Refer to reflections and ideas students have written.

Student TeamsForming Teams

Before teaching any of the challenges, plan how to divide the class into teams. Encourage girls to participate in the hands-on construction activities. Studies show that girls often stay in the role of notetaker, particularly in science activities. Watch to see that girls participate equally in the hands-on construction and testing activities. In some cases, same-sex team groupings may be appropriate to encourage equal participation and discussion.

Discuss with students strategies for working together, especially if they are not accustomed to working in teams. Young students often have trouble negotiating the sharing of the objects involved in the challenges. Emphasize to students that every student should have the opportunity to engage in the investigation equally. Assign roles to students and rotate the roles throughout the challenge. Specific roles for this challenge are described on page xvi.

Managing Student Teams

In addition to the suggestions given earlier, consider the following ideas when planning how to organize and manage the student teams.

• Design the teams so that each member brings something different. For example, try to balance energy levels, ability to get along with other

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students, and reliability in getting work completed.• Help students develop teamwork skills. Be prepared to rearrange teams

as necessary. As you observe teams while they work, remind students that they need to share responsibilities.

• Accent the positive by commending students whenever you see them demonstrating good teamwork skills.

• Build in opportunities for teams to share what they have learned. Students can learn a lot from one another and begin to use each other as resources.

• Visit each team as often as possible and make notes on your conversations. Having regular conversations about what students are doing and their questions and observations can be a rewarding exchange for both you and your students.

Student AssessmentThe exploratory nature of the challenges invites the use of a variety of assessment techniques. Assessment opportunities and strategies that you may want to adopt are suggested here:

• As students are testing their toys, observe how they carry out their testing of the models. Daily monitoring can reveal how careful students are in taking measurements and how attentive they are in keeping good records.

• Gauge students’ understanding through their participation in class discussions and the work of their team. Reproducible masters found in each challenge can help you to assess student work.

• At the end of the challenge, ask students to write letters to their parents or guardians about what they did. This activity will give them an opportunity to reflect on their experience. Parents will appreciate getting such thoughtful letters from their children.

Implementation IdeasRefer to this section for ideas on materials and classroom management.

Materials Management

Students’ engagement and interest in building the toys often tempt them to use materials liberally. Remind students about the limited amount of materials. Develop systems for tracking the inventory of materials, including organizing materials in containers, creating inventory checklists, and giving responsibility for materials to individual teams.

Consider the following ideas when planning how to organize and manage the materials students will be using:

• Plan ahead so that each team will have a place to work on its design and sufficient space to store the materials.

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• Give each team a shoe box or plastic tub to store materials.• Emphasize that materials are limited. Students need to plan carefully so

that they do not waste supplies.• Set up a repair area in one corner of the classroom to save materials and

provide students with an additional opportunity to develop and practice manipulative and problem-solving skills.

Classroom Management

Most of the classroom management issues in challenges like these typically center on student involvement, grouping issues, and organization. One of the biggest considerations is finding a place where students can safely test their toys. If there is insufficient space in the classroom, corridors outside classrooms, the cafeteria, and the gym are good testing areas when not being used by other students. Always keep safety in mind when students are doing independent work.

Consider the following ideas when planning how to organize and manage the classroom:

• Include students in making rules for working on the challenge and working in teams. List expectations in the classroom and keep them visually accessible at all times.

• Establish clear rules for testing outside the classroom to avoid disturbing other classes.

• Provide ample room for testing—a hallway, cafeteria, or another large room is ideal. If practical, schedule testing during times when the space is not being used.

• Facilitate students’ efforts and help them maintain focus on clearly stated expectations.

Obtaining Materials for the ChallengesSAE International offers a classroom Materials Kit for each of the four challenges in A World in Motion for kindergarten to grade 3. Each classroom kit contains most of the materials needed for a classroom of 24 or 28 students. Additional materials are listed in the Before You Teach section of each challenge.

Most of the materials in the kits can be purchased at hardware and office supply stores. If you prefer to purchase the materials yourself, use the list in the Before You Teach section of each challenge. You may need to modify some parts.

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STRAW ROCKETS MATERIALS

SAE International offers three levels of kits: Basic, Complete Classroom and Deluxe Classroom for a class size of 28 students.

Straw Rockets Materials kit

BeFoRe YoU teacH StRaw RocketS

Kit Materials Basic Complete Deluxe

International Space Rockets Poster 1 1 1

Kid Size Goggles 7 14 28

Straws (Individually Wrapped) 2 2 2

Straws (5.5 mm) 20 40 60

Straws (6 mm) 20 40 60

Straws (6.5 mm) 20 40 60

Straws (7.5 mm) 20 40 60

Straws (12 mm) 20 40 60

Cellophane Tape 5 10 15

Kids safe Tape Measures 3 6 9

Modeling Clay 1 1 1

Cardstock Paper 12 24 36

Ball of string 1 1 1

Sticky Flag dispenser packets 3 6 9

Wooden Pegs 4 8 12

Index Tabs (Packs) 10 20 30

Student Reader 1 2 6

Teacher Manual On CD 1 1 1

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Additional Materials

These additional materials are required for the challenge:

• 1 roll of scotch tape per student team• 1 pair of scissors per student• 1 bottle of white glue per student team (1.25 FL OZ)• 1 glue stick per student team• 1 resealable plastic bag per student (1 gallon size) • Chart paper or whiteboard• Square-ruled chart paper• Markers• Cardstock paper• Science notebooks (see Introduction, page ix, for more information)

These additional materials are optional for the challenge:

• 1 individually wrapped straw for each student

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STRAW ROCKETS CALENDAR Most activities in Straw Rockets are approximately 30–40 minutes long. Consider the calendar below as you plan to teach this challenge to your students.

WeekLength(Min)

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Before You

Teach

Time as needed

Familiarize yourself with the Teacher Guide and materials

1

10 1.Up, Up,

and Away!

2.How Do

Our Rockets Go?

3.Straw Length

4.Nose

Weight

5.Fins Aren’t

just for Fish!

10

10

10

10

10

2

10 6.Create

Your Own Rockets!

6.Create

Your Own Rockets!

Continued

7.Rocket

Contests10

10

10

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PREPARING TO TEACH

Student Groups

In this challenge, students will work in teams of four when they investigate the materials. If you already use student teams in your classroom, use the structures you have in place. If your students are not familiar with working in teams, be sure to introduce teamwork prior to engaging in this challenge. Refer to the Introduction section (page x) for additional information.

Teams of students are often easier to manage when each team member has a specific role. Examples of such roles include:

• Recorder – Records information on the reproducible master• Materials manager – Tracks materials and packs them back up for storage at the end of the activity• Judge – Decides where the rocket hits the ground• Facilitator – Ensures the procedure is being followed correctly

It is important that students rotate their roles throughout the challenge.

Because teams will only be creating one recording sheet, make sure that you can make copies of the recording sheet so that each team member can include a copy in his or her science notebook.

Experimentation Area Set Up

Be sure to find an area large enough for students to explore their rockets prior to teaching this challenge. Rockets can fly up to 8 meters, and students will need enough space to test their rockets. Consider using the cafeteria, hallway, or gym should space be needed for flying the rockets.

Adult Volunteers

This challenge requires that students measure the distances flown by the straw rockets they create. Students sometimes find it difficult to take accurate measurements and having one or more adult volunteers (parents or AWIM volunteers) in the room while they are testing their rockets will help to smooth the process.

Additionally, having one or more adult volunteers in the room while students are experimenting will allow you to spend at least a few minutes with each team as they investigate.

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What Do Students Explore in this Challenge?

In this challenge, students are experimenting with straw rockets. They explore air pressure as a means of thrust to launch their rockets, demonstrating Newton’s First Law. They then explore how the length of a rocket changes its flight distance—a longer straw is filled with more air, which pushes on the straw for a longer time, causing it to speed up and fly farther. They also examine how fins and nose weight affect a rocket’s stability (or its ability to fly in a smooth and uniform direction).

The science behind these phenomena is explained in further detail below.

Why Do Straw Rockets Fly?

Newton’s Laws of Motion

Straw rockets are great for demonstrating Newton’s Laws of Motion. The laws are as follows:

1. An object at rest remains at rest. An object in motion continues in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.2. Force is equal to mass times acceleration.3. For every action, there is always an opposite and equal reaction.

A straw rocket poised on its launcher demonstrates Newton’s First Law. The rocket will stay at rest unless a force acts on it. In the case of the straw rocket, the force

These science notes are resources for you. The information here is not meant to be taught directly to the students.

Note

StRaw RocketSScIence noteS

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that acts on it is a puff of air introduced by blowing into the launch straw. When air enters into the launch straw, it puts pressurized air into the chamber formed by the launcher and the straw rocket. When the force of the air exceeds the force of gravity, the straw rocket is launched.

The rocket will continue to move until gravity and friction (the unbalanced forces) cause it to slow and fall.

The Second Law of Motion is represented by the fact that a larger force (puff of air) will lead to greater acceleration of the rocket. A greater mass will result in a slower acceleration.

Newton’s Third Law is demonstrated when the rise in air pressure inside of the launch straw/straw rocket combination rises (an action) and the straw rocket takes off (an opposite and equal reaction).

What Are the Forces Acting on the Straw Rockets?

A force is a push or a pull that causes changes in motion. There are four forces that affect the flight of a rocket:

• Weight. The force of gravity pulling on the rocket• Thrust. The force that propels the rocket• Lift. The force that acts perpendicular to the flight of the rocket and causes the rocket to pivot around its center of gravity. • Drag. The force that acts against the rocket’s direction of motion and is caused largely by friction. Friction is a force between two moving objects that tends to resist motion and dissipate energy. Friction exists between air and an object moving through it, such as the straw rocket. Ultimately, friction is a force that acts on the rocket to slow it down.

What Exactly Are These Forces?

Gravity

No one really knows exactly what gravity is, but we do know how gravity behaves. Gravity is an attractive force that exists between two objects. The force of gravity depends on the mass of the objects and the distance between them. Mass is a measure of how much matter (anything you can physically touch) an object contains. On Earth, mass can be determined using a scale and is often, but not always, related to size.

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Because the earth is so massive, it has a large gravitational pull. Earth’s gravity is the force that pulls the rocket down toward the ground as it flies.

Thrust

Thrust is simply the force put on the rocket that launches it. In the case of the straw rockets, thrust is provided by the puff of air blown into the launch straws by students.

Lift

Lift is generated by the nose cone, body, and fins of a rocket. The drag of a rocket is usually much greater than the lift.

Drag

Drag is a force on an object that resists its motion through a fluid. When the fluid is a gas like air, it is called air resistance (or aerodynamic drag). From a scientific standpoint, drag is a fairly complicated phenomenon. Drag is calculated using a complex formula. In general, drag is affected by many variables:

• Density. The denser the fluid, the greater the drag it creates (remember, air is a fluid). A denser fluid has greater mass and resists moving out of the way more. Imagine the difference between dragging your hand through water and dragging it through air.

• Area. Drag also increases as an object’s surface area increases. A larger surface area means that more of the object is in contact with the fluid, which increases its drag.

• Speed. Drag also increases as speed increases. A boat sitting still in the water creates no drag. When the boat starts to move, it pushes against the water (which resists). The faster the boat moves, the more resistance the water provides.

• Other variables. Drag can be affected by many other factors, such as shape, texture, and viscosity, meaning that rockets with different shapes or made from different materials may perform differently.

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What Variables Affect the Flight of the Rocket?

Launch

A stronger puff of air will provide more thrust and cause the rocket to accelerate more quickly and fly farther. It is important that students understand that one student might be able to launch a rocket farther than another based simply on the strength of his or her initial exhalation.

Straw Length

The longer the straw, the more force necessary to get it to lift off, but also the more thrust it will have. Of course, the longer the straw, the heavier the rocket will be. There will be a point at which the larger mass of the rocket overwhelms the increased thrust, causing the rocket to fly less far.

Nose Weight

A higher nose weight will result in less range (again because of Newton’s Second Law). However, nose weight can help to stabilize the rocket and increase its range because the nose weight offsets any tumbling motion.

Fins

Fins on a rocket cause the rocket to fly straighter because of drag. When a fin is at an angle to the air, it causes drag. Drag pushes the fin until the narrow edge of the fin is facing directly into the oncoming air (a position in which there is less drag).

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Technically Speaking: How Do Scientists Describe Motion?

This section provides deeper background information about the terms used by scientists to describe motion and the formulas for those terms.

Velocity

Velocity describes how fast an object travels. In other words, it is the rate of change of distance over time. For example, if an airplane travels 100 miles in 2 hours, its velocity is greater than that of an airplane that travels 100 miles in 3 hours.

The equation for velocity is:

Velocity =

Acceleration

Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity over time. For example, if Airplane A changes its velocity from 20 mph to 40 mph in 5 minutes, and Airplane B changes its velocity from 20 mph to 60 mph in the same amount of time, then the acceleration of Airplane B is greater than the acceleration of Airplane A.

Anything falling through the air will accelerate (up to a maximum velocity). The equation for acceleration is:

Acceleration =

Distance Traveled

Time

Velocity

Time

STRAW ROCKETS ACTIvITIES

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INTRODUCTION

What Students Do in this Activity

Students begin to explore rockets made from plastic drinking straws. Student teams build straw rockets of different sizes and informally investigate how they fly when launched by blowing through a second straw.

Objectives

Students will:

• Investigate straw rockets• Examine rocket designs to identify their features

Time

50–60 minutes

SET GOALS

1 · Up, Up, and awaY!

Robert Goddard, “The Father of Modern Rocketry,” persevered to create a rocket that could fly into space.

A-ha!

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Materials

For the teacher:

• 1 individually wrapped straw• 1 copy of Letter from EarthToy Designs, Reproducible Master 1• Permanent marker• Chart paper or whiteboard • Markers

For the class:

• The Rocket Age Takes Off! book• International Space Rockets poster

For each team:

• Cellophane tape

For each student:

• 1 straw (5.5 mm diameter)• 1 straw (6 mm diameter)• 1 straw (6.5 mm diameter)• 1 straw (7.5 mm diameter)• 1 straw (12 mm diameter)• 1 resealable plastic bag (1 gallon size)• Protective Goggles• 1 copy of Build a Straw Rocket, Reproducible Master 3• Science notebook (see Introduction, page ix, for more information) • 1 individually wrapped straw (optional)• 1 copy of Our Team, Reproducible Master 2 (optional)• Copy of The Rocket Age Takes Off! book (optional)

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preparation for the Activity

Determine how students will be teamed up during the challenge. Refer to the Introduction section (page x) for additional information on creating teams.

Decide whether you are going to have teams make up names and logos for themselves. If they are, hand out one copy of Our Team, Reproducible Master 2, to each student.

Find a large area in which you can carry out some of the challenge activities. Straw rockets can travel a fair distance, so larger spaces are necessary for doing this challenge. If possible, make arrangements to use the gym, the auditorium, the cafeteria, or an outdoor space.

Read the storybook The Rocket Age Takes Off! Recognize the points in the story where you will stop to engage students in conversation. These points include the following:

• At the end of page 1 • At the end of page 5• At the end of page 16• At the end of page 26

Each of these points provides an opportunity to discuss why the events of the story unfolded as they did.

Optional: Make copies of the book The Rocket Age Takes Off! so that students can follow along while the book is being read aloud.

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CLASSROOM ACTIvITY

presenting the Activity – Whole Group

1. Gather students for a class discussion.

2. Open the wrapped straw by ripping the wrapper about 2 inches from the end of the straw, leaving the 2-inch section of wrapper on the straw and discarding the rest.

3. After getting students’ attention, blow into the end, shooting the paper wrapper off like a rocket.

4. Ask students if they have ever made a straw wrapper rocket before. If students have not, you may wish to show them the rocket again or allow students to launch their own wrapper rockets.

5. Ask students to think about why the wrapper launches so fast and far. Students should recognize that it is the air blown into the straw that launches the wrapper. Students may even use the term air pressure.

6. Ask, “What types of things do you know about that use air pressure to launch or propel an object?”

7. Make a list of students’ responses to the question on a piece of chart paper or a whiteboard.Students may mention some of the following:

• Stomp Rockets®

• Balloon-powered toys (releasing an untied balloon)• Blow guns• Pneumatic tools (nail guns, etc.)• Pop guns

8. Read Letter from EarthToy Designs, Reproducible Master 1, to students. The letter explains that students will be building new toys that fly. Over the course of the challenge, teams will be conducting experiments so they can design their own straw rocket toy. Their goal is to design and build a rocket that both travels a long distance and is fairly accurate.

It is important to discuss safety with students, as they may have the inclination to launch their straws at each other. Make sure that all students wear their protective goggles and that they understand rockets should not be launched at other people.

Students may offer brands or names of toys. If you are not familiar with them, ask students to describe the toys and how they work.

Teacher Tip

Teacher Tip

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9. Assign teams and distribute science notebooks. Tell students that they will be working in teams of four during exploration time.

10. Optional: Hand out one copy of Our Team, Reproducible Master 2, to each student and ask teams to come up with a name and a logo for their team. Use this activity to build team rapport. Students should complete the following:

• Write their name and their team members’ names on Our Team, Reproducible Master 2.

• Pick memorable names for their teams. They might choose a name that incorporates a favorite color (the Red Roosters) or base it on their town, street, or neighborhood (the Lexington Leopards).

• Design a unique logo for their team.

Remind students to include their completed reproducible masters in their science notebooks.

Facilitating Student Exploration – Teams

11. Explain that teams will be testing a variety of straws to see how they work as rockets. Distribute the following to each student:

• 1 gallon-sized resealable plastic bag• Protective goggles• 1 copy of Build a Straw Rocket, Reproducible Master 3• 1 straw in each of the following sizes: 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.5, and 12 mm

Show students how to tape the end of a straw by folding it over and wrapping cellophane tape around it. If you think they may have problems following the instructions, you may want to model how to do this.

Explain that the plastic bag is for storing their materials and that they should label their bags with their names.

If students are unfamiliar with the term logo, discuss examples of familiar corporate icons, such as the “golden arches,” clothing designer logos, or other popular and recognizable company emblems. Discuss how companies use logos to project an easily recognized and attractive image.

If possible, invite an AWIM or parent volunteer to be present during the Facilitating Student Exploration time over the course of the challenge.

Teacher Tip

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12. Show students how to launch the rockets by blowing through the launcher.

13. Give students time to build and play with their straw rockets.

14. After students have had 20–25 minutes to explore with their rockets, ask them to write their observations in their science notebooks.Explain that they should write about what they did and what they noticed about their rockets.

Sharing and Interpreting – Whole Group

15. Gather all students for a class discussion. Discuss what they observed during exploration time. keep track of students’ observations on a piece of chart paper or a whiteboard.

16. Ask students to examine the different rocket designs on the International Space Rockets poster. Have students identify the ways in which the rockets are different and the ways in which they are similar.

17. Ask, “In what ways could we change a straw rocket to see how it changes the flight of the rocket?” On a separate piece of chart paper, make a class list of all of the aspects of a rocket that students can imagine varying.

Students might suggest some of the following:

• Weight of the straw• Length of the straw• Width of the straw• Width of the launcher• Weight and shape of the front of the rocket• Launch mechanism

18. Optional: Hand out copies of The Rocket Age Takes Off!, one to each students.Explain that you will be reading the story aloud, and they can follow along using their copy.

Post the chart so that students can refer to it over the course of the challenge.

You might choose to introduce the book in guided reading groups. If you do so, prepare some literacy activities for groups with which you are not reading the book. For examples of literacy activities, please check the links on the AWIM website.

Teacher Tip

Teacher Tip

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19. Read The Rocket Age Takes Off! aloud to the class or introduce the book in guided reading groups. As you read, you may want to stop in different parts of the book to assess students’ reading comprehension.

20. Stop at the end of page 1.Ask students to think about how long ago Dr. Goddard started to test his rocket. Discuss inventions that didn’t exist in 1926.

21. Stop at the end of page 5.Ask students to think about ways in which they experiment. For example:

• Have they ever tried to see what happens if they mix baking soda and vinegar?

• What happens when they focus the light of the sun through a magnifying glass?

22. Stop at the end of page 16. Ask students, “Why do you think gas is not a great fuel? What’s the difference between a solid (like gunpowder), a gas, and a liquid?”

23. Stop at the end of page 26.Ask students, “How many people do you think were involved with inventions or research that helped make human spaceflight possible?”

24. Conclude the activity by making connections between the rockets in the book and the straw rockets.Explore the features of the rockets that students noticed in the book. Ask students, “What launches the rockets in the book? How is it different from how we launch our straw rockets?”

Inventions that were invented after 1926 include the following:

• Antibiotics (1928)• Jet engine (1937)• Computer (1941)• Microwave oven (1945)• Laser (1960)• Digital camera (1975)• Compact disk player (1982)

Teacher Tip

EarthToyDesigns, Inc.

Letter from EarthToy Designs

Dear Students: We need your help! The mission of EarthToy Designs, Inc., is to develop and promote toys that are fun and exciting. EarthToy Designs is creating a rocket toy that is based on the age-old game of shooting the wrapper off of a plastic drinking straw by blowing through the straw. We are trying to design a rocket game that is similar to the game of horseshoes. The object of the game will be to launch a straw rocket and have it land in a small ring placed between 5 and 8 meters from the player. The best part is that the game will fit in your pocket!

Our EarthToy engineers are seeking fresh ideas from young people like you. That’s why we need your help! We need you to test the materials from which our rockets will be made. We suggest that your teams take the following steps to help us:

1. Experiment with all sizes and shapes of rockets to see how changes in size and shape change how the rockets fly.

2. Conduct experiments to figure out what makes a rocket fly farther/less far.3. Design a toy rocket that can be launched with a puff of air and can travel at

least 5 meters and land within a ½-meter diameter circle.

Good luck with your research!

I. M. GreenI. M. GreenPresident

Our Team

My name: ___________________________________________________

My teammates’ names: ______________________________________

Team name: _________________________________________________

Draw your team logo.

Build a Straw Rocket

1. Select a straw and fold one of its ends over.

2. Wrap a small piece of cellophane

tape around the folded end.

3. Take a straw with a smaller diameter (the launch

straw) and insert it into the straw rocket.

4. Your completed rocket and launcher

should look like this.

5. Launch your rocket by blowing through

the end of the launch straw.

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INTRODUCTION


Students continue exploring rockets made from plastic drinking straws. They test their rockets in a systematic manner, and discuss their observations about the flight distances and patterns of the different rockets. They begin to hypothesize about why those differences might have occurred.

Objectives

Students will:

• Investigate straw rockets systematically• Measure the distance that straw rockets fly• Hypothesize about the features of a straw rocket that might affect the

rocket’s flight

Time

30–40 minutes

BUILD KNOWLEDGE

2 · How do oUR RocketS go?

The larger the rocket, the more air that can escape between the launch straw and the edges of the rocket, decreasing thrust and, therefore, the range of the rocket’s flight.

A-ha!

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Materials

For the teacher:

• 1 individually wrapped straw• Permanent marker• Chart paper or whiteboard• Markers

For the class:


For each team:

• 1 retractable tape measure• Cellophane tape• 1 copy of Blast Off!, Reproducible Master 4

For each student:

• 2 straws (7.5 mm diameter)• 2 straws (12 mm diameter)• Protective goggles• The gallon-sized resealable plastic bag containing the student’s rockets

and launcher from the previous activity• Science notebook (see Introduction, page ix, for more information)


There is no prior preparation for this activity.

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CLASSROOM ACTIvITY


1. Remind students of the rockets they created and explored in the previous activity. Highlight some of the observations they made.

2. Explain that, in this activity, students will be doing some more systematic investigations of the rockets.


3. pass out an individually wrapped 6.5 mm straw to each student.Have students label their straws with their initials using permanent markers. Students will use the same launch straw throughout the challenge, so make sure that the straws are labeled legibly.

Explain that this straw is the launcher that they will be using throughout the challenge.

Have extra 6.5 mm straws available if students lose their original straws.

4. Hand out one copy of Blast Off!, Reproducible Master 4, to each team. Students will make and test rockets built from two differently sized straws. Assign tasks to team members (roles should rotate each activity so that all students have a chance to perform all jobs):

• Materials manager – Keeps track of materials, handing them out at the beginning and storing them at the end.

• Judge – Notes where the rocket lands and marks the location with a sticky flag

• Facilitator – Makes sure that the proper procedures are being followed • Recorder – Records names of the launchers and the distances flown

and makes notes about how the rockets fly on the reproducible master (didn’t spin around, went in a specific direction)

All students should watch the path of the rocket as it flies and describe any interesting information about its flight to the recorder. When the recorder is launching his or her rocket, another student can fill in as recorder.

Refer to the Introduction section (page viii) for ideas on helping students remember previous work if a lengthy period passes between activities.

Remind students that they need to wear protective goggles and ensure that students understand they are not allowed to launch their rockets at each other.

Teacher Tip

Teacher Tip

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5. Hand out the remaining materials to students.These materials include:

• 2 straws (7.5 mm diameter)• 2 straws (12 mm diameter)• Protective goggles• Plastic bags

6. Demonstrate to students how to use the guide on their reproducible masters to measure straw diameters and how to use the tape measure to record the distance their straw rockets travel in meters.

7. Remind students that they must talk to the rest of their team about their observations and back up their opinions with evidence.

8. Check in on teams as necessary to remind students to focus on the task at hand or to ask them what they have observed.

9. When students finish with their initial testing, have them store their materials in their plastic bags.

10. Make copies of each team’s recording sheet to give to team members and have students add their team’s reproducible master to their science notebooks.


11. Gather all students for a discussion. Discuss what they observed during exploration time.If students are having a hard time articulating their observations, refer them to the completed reproducible master. In addition, encourage discussion by asking:

• How do you think the straw size affects how far a rocket travels?• How did your rockets behave in the air?

Record students’ observations on the chart paper or whiteboard.

12. Ask students what they think can be done to the straw rocket to make it travel farther and more accurately.Be sure to highlight the variables (weight, straw length, launching angle, and fins) that students will be exploring in this challenge.

The tape measure has measure-ments in both inches and centi-meters. Be sure to tell students to use the meters units.

Having students discuss what they are doing serves three pur-poses: (1) helps students focus their observations and clarify and deepen their understanding by trying to put their thoughts into words; (2) helps students slow down as they work through the experience; and (3) lets them practice the skill of articulating observations, which is necessary for good scientific investigation.

Teacher Tip

Teacher Tip

Blast Off!

My name: ___________________________________________________

Team name: _________________________________________________

Straw Rocket Size

Launcher’s Name

Distance Notes

Which straw rocket performed the best?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Why do you think it performed best?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Continued

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INTRODUCTION


In this activity, students experiment with different straw lengths. They systematically test how straw length affects travel distance and accuracy.

Objectives

Students will:

• Systematically test how changing the straw length of a rocket affects flight distance and performance

• Learn the importance of conducting trials

Time

30–40 minutes

BUILD KNOWLEDGE

3 · StRaw lengtH

The longer the straw, the more force that will be needed to get it to lift off, but also the more thrust it will have. Of course, the longer the straw, the heavier the rocket will be. There will be a point at which the larger mass of the rocket overwhelms the increased thrust, causing the rocket to fly a shorter distance (although, the slightly increased weight of the straw in these tests will likely not be a factor).

A-ha!

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Materials

For the teacher:

• Square-ruled chart paper or whiteboard• Markers

For the class:


For each team:

• Sticky flags• 1 retractable tape measure• 1 copy of Does Length Matter?, Reproducible Master 5

For each student:

• 3 straws (7.5 mm diameter)• 1 pair of scissors• Protective goggles• The gallon-sized resealable plastic bag containing the student’s rockets

and launcher from the previous activity • 1 copy of Rocket Length Reflection, Reproducible Master 6• Science notebook (see Introduction, page ix, for more information)


Make a tally sheet, labeled like the one shown below, on a piece square-ruled chart paper or on a whiteboard.

Which rocket flew the farthest?

Results

predictions

8 cm 14 cm 20 cm

You may want to precut samples of the different straw lengths in the event that students have problems measuring and/or you are running short on time.

Teacher Tip

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CLASSROOM ACTIvITY



2. Direct students’ attention to the rocket poster. Ask students what they notice about the lengths of the rockets depicted on the poster.

3. Remind students of the straw exploration that they did in the previous activity. Ask students which straw they think will be the best one for the EarthToy Designs toy.Students may have found that one size straw seems to fly the farthest at this point. Students may also recognize that the straw that fits the launch straw the most closely seems to go the farthest.

4. Ask students to explain why they think particular straws or launcher/straw combinations worked best.Students likely have their own theories about why a particular straw or combination seemed to perform best. Some students may be able to articulate a theory that involves the tightness of the fit between the straw and the launcher.

5. Explain that students will be testing different lengths of straws in this activity. Ask students how they think the length of a straw will affect the distance flown. Keep a record of students’ responses on chart paper or a whiteboard.

6. Ask students, “When you launched the rockets in the last class, were there ways that you could launch them that made a difference in the distance the rockets flew?”If students don’t suggest anything, demonstrate some rocket launches:

• Puff out your cheeks, making a show of how much air you are filling them with. Blow audibly and forcefully.

• Blow softly and quietly.

Discuss the differences that students noted. Demonstrate two other launches:

• Aim the rocket straight up into the air.• Aim the rocket directly in front of you.

Discuss the differences that students noted with these two launches.

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7. Ask students, “How can you make sure that you are testing how the length of the rocket affects how far it flies?” Remind them of your earlier launch demonstrations. It is important that students understand why you carried out the launching demonstration, which was to emphasize the following:

• Different launch procedures yield different results.• It is important that they use similar methods every time they launch

their rockets.

8. Ask students to predict which rocket will fly the farthest and discuss why they think so. Keep track of students’ predictions on the tally sheet you created in Preparation for the Activity.


9. Make sure that all students have their own launch straw.If not, give students new 6.5 mm launch straws and make sure that they label them with a permanent marker.

10. Ask students to get into their teams. Give each team an area in which they can work. Explain that it is their job to explore how far each length of rocket flies.

11. Hand out the plastic bags containing the students’ rockets, a retractable tape measure (one per team), and materials for rockets. Each student should have a pair of scissors and three straws (all the same size).

12. Hand out one copy of Does Length Matter?, Reproducible Master 5, to each team and go over it with students. Explain that students will be testing how rocket length affects flight distance. Assign each team member a role.

13. point out the word Trials at the top of the table. Ask students what they think a trial is.If students do not have an answer, encourage them to examine the table. What is directly below the word Trials in the table? If students still are unable to answer, discuss whether any of them have heard the word trials used in other circumstances. For example, there are often trials in sports, such as track and field and motorsports.

14. Have each student build three straw rockets of varying length: 8, 14, and 20 cm (full length).

If time allows, you may want students to vote on how the rockets will be launched for testing purposes from this point forward in the challenge.

If you are running short of time for this activity, you may want to provide student teams with samples of the different straw lengths to serve as templates.

Teacher Tip

Teacher Tip

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15. In their teams, have students launch their rockets and have the recorder keep track of distances they fly on the team copy of Does Length Matter?, Reproducible Master 5. If necessary, demonstrate how to use the tape measure to measure the distance flown by a rocket.

16. Remind students to take turns launching the rockets.

17. After 10–15 minutes, distribute Rocket Length Reflection, Reproducible Master 6, and ask team members to write about one observation.Tell them, for example:

It is time for us to finish up this activity. As scientists, we need to write down what we’ve noticed. On your reproducible master, write a paragraph about one interesting thing that you observed today.



19. Record students’ results on the tally sheet you created in Preparation for the Activity. You can have students make their own tally marks or you can have students call out their results.

20. Discuss students’ results.Did all teams get the same results? If not, probe students with questions such as the following:

<This team> said that the longer rocket flew the farthest most of the time, but you found that the shorter one flew the farthest. Why might this have happened? What should we do now?

Does Length Matter?

My name: ___________________________________________________

Team name: _________________________________________________

Straw Length

Launcher’s Name

DistanceNotes

Trial1

Trial2

Trial3

8 cm

8 cm

8 cm

8 cm

14 cm

14 cm

14 cm

14 cm

20 cm

20 cm

20 cm

20 cm

Rocket Length Reflection

My name: ___________________________________________________

Write a paragraph about one interesting thing that you observed today.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

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INTRODUCTION


In this activity, students continue to explore their straw rockets. They experiment with how adding weight to the rockets’ noses affects their performance. Students continue to test their rockets systematically and explore the concept of well-designed or fair tests.

Objectives

Students will:

• Systematically test how changing the nose weight of a rocket affects flight distance and performance

• Explore the notion of a well-designed or fair test• Identify variables that affect test performance

Time

30–40 minutes

BUILD KNOWLEDGE

4 · noSe weIgHt

A higher nose weight results in a decreased range because the weight slows the acceleration of the rocket (acceleration = force/mass). However, nose weight can help to stabilize the rocket and increase its range because the nose weight offsets any tumbling motion.

A-ha!

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Materials

For the teacher:

• Square-ruled chart paper or whiteboard• 2 different rubber balls• 2 straws (7.5 mm diameter)• 1 ball of clay• 1 wooden peg• Cellophane tape• Markers

For the class:


For each team:

• 1 retractable tape measure• 1 ball of clay• 1 wooden peg• 1 copy of Nose Weight Results, Reproducible Master 7

For each student:

• 2 straws (7.5 mm diameter)• 1 pair of scissors• Protective goggles• The gallon-sized resealable plastic bag containing the student’s rockets

and launcher from the previous activity • Science notebook (see Introduction, page ix, for more information)

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Make two straw rockets of different lengths. Poke one straw about 5 mm into a piece of clay. Pull it out and use a peg to tamp the clay farther into the straw before folding the straw over.

Make a tally sheet, labeled like the one shown below, on a piece of square-ruled chart paper or a whiteboard.

Which rocket flew the farthest?

Results

predictions

No weight Weight

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CLASSROOM ACTIvITY


1. Gather students for a group discussion.

2. pass around the two example rockets you made (see Preparation for the Activity) for students to examine. Ask students to note the similarities and differences between the two rockets. If students do not notice both differences, direct their attention to the noses of the rockets.

3. Ask students if they think it would be a good test (also known as a fair test or a well-designed test) of how weight impacts flight performance using these two rockets. If students do not recognize that there is more than one variable in each rocket, you may need to help them reach that conclusion. Ask them, “Would they perform similarly if I removed the weight from the noses?”

Based on their experimentation in the previous activity, students should recognize that the length of a rocket affects performance. Therefore, trying to determine how nose weight affects performance using two rockets of different lengths would not make sense.

Here is another way to help students understand the concept of fair testing:

• Ask students to imagine trying to test how bouncy a ball is. • Hold two different balls in the air, one higher than the other and ask,

“If I drop these balls now, will you be able to determine which ball is bouncier?”

Students should recognize that the different heights from which the ball is to be dropped will affect how much the ball bounces.

4. Stress with students the importance of making sure that their test will give information only about how nose weight affects performance. In a well-designed test, only one aspect of the test (variable) is changed. In the case of the rockets, the two rockets should have all of the same characteristics except one. For this activity, the variable that changes is the weight on the nose of the rocket.

Reinforce this concept by asking students what the variable was in the previous set of tests they carried out. Students should recognize that the variable was straw length.

You may wish to refer to the list of variables students made in Activity 1.

Teacher Tip

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Have the rockets students created in the previous activity available for observation as needed.

5. As a class, discuss how students think the added weight will affect flight distance and accuracy. Keep track of students’ predictions about flight distance on the tally sheet you created in Preparation for the Activity.


6. Make sure that each student has two launch straws.If not, give students new flexible straws and ensure that they label them with a permanent marker.

7. Have students break into their teams and give each team an area in which they can work. Remind students that it is their job to explore how the weight on the nose of a straw rocket affects its flight distance and accuracy.

8. Each student should build two rockets, one with a weighted nose and one without.

9. Hand out one copy of Nose Weight Results, Reproducible Master 8, to each team. Assign roles to students. Explain that the recorder will use this sheet to keep track of the rockets that are tested.

Remind students that the recorder will make notes about each trial in the Notes box. Notes might include information about how the rocket flew or any other information students might care to note.

10. Remind students to take turns launching the rockets.

11. After 10–15 minutes, ask teams to make any additional notes in their science notebooks about the procedures they followed and what they observed.Stress the importance of keeping a good record of the procedures that were followed and the observations that were made.


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13. Record students’ results on the tally sheet you created in Preparation for the Activity. You can have students make their own tally marks, or you can have students call out their results.

14. Discuss results. Did the results match students’ predictions? Did all teams get the same results? If not, probe students with questions such as the following:

<Student’s name> said that the rocket with the weighted nose flew farther than the one without the weighted nose, but you found that the one without weight flew farther. Why might this have happened? What should we do now?

Students should recognize that similar rockets should perform similarly. If teams did not generally find the same results, it is important for them to retest to make sure that their data are valid.

Nose Weight Results

My name: ___________________________________________________

Team name: _________________________________________________

Nose Weight?

Launcher’s Name

DistanceNotes

Trial1

Trial2

Trial3

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

No

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STRAW ROCKETS

INTRODUCTION


In this activity, students experiment with adding fins to their straw rockets to see how they affect the rocket’s flight. Students systematically test how adding fins affects travel distance and accuracy.

Objectives

Students will:

• Systematically test how fins attached to a rocket affect flight distance and performance• Gather qualitative data

Time

30–40 minutes

BUILD KNOWLEDGE

5 · FInS aRen’t jUSt FoR FISH!

Fins on a rocket cause the rocket to fly straighter because of drag. When a fin is at an angle to the air, it causes drag. Drag pushes the fin until the narrow edge of the fin is facing directly into the oncoming air (a position in which there is less drag). When the rocket flies straighter, it also should fly farther.

A-ha!

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Materials

For the teacher:

• Chart paper or whiteboard• Markers• 1 straw (7.5 mm diameter)• 3 fin labels

For the class:


For each team:

• 1 retractable tape measure• 1 copy of Fins in Flight, Reproducible Master 8

For each student:

• 1 pair of scissors• 2 straws (7.5 mm diameter)• 3 fin labels• Protective goggles• The gallon-sized resealable plastic bag containing the student’s rockets

and launcher from the previous activity • Science notebook (see Introduction, page ix, for more information)


There is no preparation for this activity.

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CLASSROOM ACTIvITY



2. Direct students’ attention to the rocket poster. Ask students if anyone can point out the fins on one or more rockets on the poster.Keep a record of students’ responses on chart paper or the whiteboard.

3. Explain that students will be exploring how the addition of fins will affect rocket flight in this activity. Ask students to predict how fins will affect rocket flight. If students have difficulty locating the fins, you may wish to ask them what a fin is.

4. Ask students, “How can you make sure that you are testing only how fins affect the rocket’s flight?” If students do not suggest that everything but the addition of fins needs to remain consistent, remind them that changing multiple variables will produce results that cannot be easily interpreted.

5. Demonstrate how to add a fin by folding a label in half and using the excess to affix the label to the straw. This is sometimes a difficult procedure for students. It might be helpful to suggest that one student hold the straw while another affixes the fin. It may also help to remove only the covering on one side of the tab, stick that half of the tab to the base of the straw, and then remove the other covering.

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6. Make sure that each student has his or her own launch straw.If not, give students new launch straws and make sure that they label them with a permanent marker.

7. Ask students to get into their teams. Hand out a pair of scissors, 2 straws, and 3 labels to each student. Explain that students will be adding three fins to their rockets.

8. Have each student build one rocket with fins and one rocket without fins.

9. Once students have completed their rockets, give each team an area in which they can work. Explain that it is their job to explore how the addition of fins to the rocket affects its flight.

10. Hand out one copy of Fins in Flight, Reproducible Master 8, to each team. Explain that the students will be testing rockets with and without fins. Assign roles to students. Explain that the recorder will use this sheet to keep track of the rockets that are tested.

Go over the reproducible master with students.

11. In their teams, students launch their rockets, and the recorder notes the distances they fly and the way they fly on Fins in Flight, Reproducible Master 8. Hand out one retractable tape measure to each team. If necessary, demonstrate how to use the tape measure to measure the distance in meters flown by a rocket.

12. Explain that part of what students will do in this challenge is to explore the effect of adding fins to the rockets. Students test rockets with and without fins to learn how fins impact flight performance. Students who are not launching should observe the rockets launched by the other students and describe the differences they see in the various flights to the recorder.

13. After 10–15 minutes, ask teams to make notes in their science notebooks about what they observed.

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14. Make copies of each team’s recording sheet to give to team members and have students add their team’s reproducible masters to their science notebooks.


15. Gather students together to discuss their impressions of how the addition of fins changed the flight of the rockets.Did all teams get the same results? If not, probe students with questions such as the following:

<Student’s name> said that the fins made the rocket spin around, but your team found the opposite. Why might this have happened? What should we do now?

16. On a piece of chart paper or whiteboard, list students’ ideas on how the fins changed their rockets’ flight.

17. Discuss all of the variables that you have tested so far.Students should recognize that they tested the following variables:

• Straw length• Presence or absence of nose weight• Presence or absence of fins• Straw diameter (informally)

18. Ask students if there are any other variables that they

could test.Keep track of their suggestions on a piece of chart paper or whiteboard. Students may mention the following:

• Fin position• Number of fins• Straw width (formally)• Launch straw width• Launch straw length• Amount of nose weight

Be sure to save the lists of ideas generated by students. They will be needed in the next activity. Also, the rockets that students created during this activity will be needed in the next activity.

Teacher Tip

Fins in Flight

My name: ___________________________________________________

Team name: _________________________________________________

Fins?Launcher’s

Name

DistanceNotes

Trial1

Trial2

Trial3

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

No

41A WORLD IN MOTION

STRAW ROCKETS

INTRODUCTION


In this activity, students use the knowledge they’ve gained over the course of the challenge to build a rocket that can fly at least 5 meters and land within a small circle.

Objectives

Students will:

• Use the knowledge they’ve gained over the course of the challenge to build a rocket that meets EarthToys Designs’ specifications.

Time

60−80 minutes (or more)

DESIGN/BUILD AND TEST

6 · cReate YoUR own RocketS

Students will use the knowledge they’ve gained over the course of the unit to build a rocket that is accurate and flies at least 5 meters. Some teams may want to experiment with other variables to determine how to create the best rocket design.

A-ha!

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Materials

For the teacher:

• 1 copy of Letter from EarthToy Designs, Reproducible Master 1

For the class:


For each team:

• 1 retractable tape measure • 10 straws of each size (5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.5, and 12 mm diameter)• 10 sheets of cardstock paper• Clay• Cellophane tape• White glue• Glue stick• String circle target

For each student:

• Protective goggles• The gallon-sized resealable plastic bag containing the student’s rockets

and launcher from the previous activity • 1 pair of scissors• 1 copy of Make Our Team Rocket, Reproducible Master 9• 1 copy of Our Rocket, Reproducible Master 10• Science notebook (see Introduction, page ix, for more information)


This activity can be undertaken in a single session or in multiple sessions, depending on how much time you wish to give students to experiment with their designs. Determine how much time you will allow teams to work on their rockets.

Read the storybook The Rocket Age Takes Off! Recognize the points in the story where you would like stop to engage students in conversation (including, the end of page 2).

For Facilitating Student Exploration, teams will need space where they can build and test their rockets.

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CLASSROOM ACTIvITY

presenting the Activity


2. Reread Letter from EarthToy Designs, Reproducible Master 1, to the class. Explain that teams will now have a chance to design the rocket that was requested by EarthToy Designs. It is each team’s job to build a rocket using the materials they will be given.

3. Reread The Rocket Age Takes Off!

4. point out the passage on page 2 where Dr. Goddard named his rocket Nell. Ask students to name their rockets as well.

5. Discuss how Robert Goddard went through many trials to design his rocket. Ask students to think about the many different designs they could use for their rockets, based on the testing they’ve done.

6. Remind them of the prior tests they have conducted and the results they have gathered. Encourage students to use the data they’ve gathered over the course of the challenge while they build their rockets. Explain that they are designing a straw rocket to meet EarthToy Designs’ specifications, not just a cool-looking rocket!

Facilitating Student Exploration

7. Make sure that each student has his or her own launch straw.If not, give students new flexible straws and make sure that they label them with a permanent marker.

8. Ask students to break into their teams and give each team an area in which they can work. Remind students that they are to build a rocket that can fly at least 5 meters and land in the target circle consistently.

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9. Hand out Make Our Team Rocket, Reproducible Master 9, to each team member. provide each team with the materials they will have to use.

10. As teams work, circulate among them to observe what they are doing and listen to their conversations. Use this as an opportunity to assess students informally. Pay particular attention to whether students refer to the experimentation they carried out previously in the challenge. For example:

• Are students applying what they learned previously to their toy design?

• Do students refer to the earlier findings when suggesting how to build their rockets?

• Do students suggest ways to test their proposed designs? • Will the test they are thinking of running help them redesign

their rocket?

It might be necessary to remind students to hold all but one variable constant by asking them if a test they are proposing will give them enough information to make a decision.

11. Hand out one copy of Our Rocket, Reproducible Master 10, to each student. Have each student draw their team’s rocket and then explain how and why the team decided to build it the way they did.

Explain to students that they will be presenting their rockets to other teams.

Sharing and Interpreting

12. When students have finished, gather them together in a circle to share their designs.Ask a representative or representatives from each team to explain their design and why they built their rocket the way they did.

Explain that during the next activity each team will compare their rocket to those built by the other teams.

The building and testing of a rocket may be constrained to 20–30 minutes, or you may allow teams more time to build. You might want to base your decision on the quality of student interactions during the design process. If students are building and testing different designs to determine the optimum design and referring to prior work, it might be a good idea to give them more time to work on their designs.

Teacher Tip

Make Our Team Rocket

1. With your team, look over the data you collected while testing rockets. What are the characteristics that make the rocket fly long distances accurately?

2. Experiment with the materials to decide what you will use to build your rocket.

3. Build your rocket! Remember, make a rocket that can fly at least 5 meters and be accurate.

Our Rocket

Names: ______________________________________________________

Team name: _________________________________________________

We used the following materials to build our rocket:

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Here is a picture of our rocket:

We designed our rocket this way because:

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

47A WORLD IN MOTION

STRAW ROCKETS

INTRODUCTION


In the previous activity, students had the opportunity to create a rocket that flew at least 5 meters and land within 1/2 meter of a target. In this activity, student teams compete to see which team has created the most accurate and longest-flying rocket.

Objectives

Students will:

• Demonstrate their toy rockets • Test their rockets against rockets built by other teams• Explore the elements of the rocket that stays in the air the longest • Reflect on what they’ve learned

Time

30–40 minutes

PRESENT

7 · Rocket conteStS

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STRAW ROCKETS

Materials

For the Teacher:

• Chart paper or whiteboard• Markers

For the class:

• 1 retractable tape measure

For each team:

• Rockets that students built in the previous activity

For each student:

• Protective goggles• His or her rockets from the previous activity• 1 copy of Rocket Contest, Reproducible Master 11• 1 copy of My Rocket Advice, Reproducible Master 12• Science notebook (see Introduction, page ix, for more information) • 1 copy of My Invention, Reproducible Master 13 (optional)


Make accessible the rockets that students built in the previous activity. Students will be moving a lot in this activity as they conduct the races. Make sure that you have cleared enough space in the classroom to allow teams to move safely around.

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CLASSROOM ACTIvITY

presenting the Activity

1. Gather teams for a discussion.

2. Remind students of the rockets they built in the previous activity.You may want to ask students to articulate the requirements for building the rocket:

• The rocket must fly at least 5 meters.• The rocket must be accurate enough to consistently land in a small

target area.

3. Ask student teams to share the toy they built and to explain why they built it the way they did. Although students did this in the previous activity, they should briefly share the toy they built and provide a quick explanation for their design as a refresher.

4. Explain to teams that they will have the opportunity to compare their rocket’s performance to the rockets built by the other teams.As a class, discuss how you can ensure that the races are fair.

Take note of students’ suggestions on the chart paper or whiteboard and then, as a class, decide which suggestions you will put in place for the races.

5. Discuss how students think they should deal with the issue of having different launchers for the rockets.Students may have a variety of suggestions. One possibility is for each team to elect their best launcher to be part of the competition. Another possibility is to have every team member launch and to compile or average the results.

6. As a class, decide how many times each team’s rocket will be launched.

7. Discuss how you will determine the winner of the contest, considering that there will be both distance flown and accuracy data.Students may wish to award titles to both distance and accuracy winners, or they may have ideas about how to incorporate both types of data into determining the winner.

If you choose to have both accuracy and distance contests, you will need to make recording sheets for each contest.

Teacher Tip

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STRAW ROCKETS

You may wish to teach students the concept of mean when totaling the data.

Teacher Tip

8. Distribute Rocket Contest, Reproducible Master 11, to each student. Go over how the contest will work and how to record the data on the reproducible master.Have each team record its data on a separate reproducible master. Tell students that they will launch their rocket as many times as was determined by the class.

Ensure that students measure the distance flown for each launch and remind them to keep track of the number of target hits.

Facilitating Student Exploration

9. Lay out the retractable tape measure so that it extends perpendicular to the launch line. place the target 5 meters from the launch line.

10. Go over the launching procedures with students.Have students take turns launching their rockets from the launch line.

11. Gather the teams in the contest area and have teams launch their rockets.Observe student reactions and listen carefully to their conversations.

• Are they sharing observations about what they see? • Is the recorder recording the results onto the reproducible master?

12. Have each team total the distance flown and the number of hits or misses for their rocket.

Sharing and Interpreting

13. After the contest, gather students together for a discussion.

14. Ask a representative of each team to share the total scores (distance, hits, and misses) for their rocket and record the scores on chart paper or a whiteboard. Announce the winning rocket or rockets based on the criteria determined by the class.

15. Have students discuss why they think the rocket or rockets that won did so. Students may have a variety of theories. If the class believes that a rocket won solely on the basis of a team’s launch power, it might be fun to retry the contest with a single launcher for all of the rockets.

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16. To wrap up, distribute My Rocket Advice, Reproducible Master 12, to each student. Ask students to write and reflect about one thing they learned in this challenge and to include it in their science notebook.

Literacy Extension

Distribute My Invention, Reproducible Master 13, to each student. For homework, have students write their own invention story using the story of Dr. Goddard for inspiration.

You may want to use some of the completed reproducible masters to assess student learning.

Teacher Tip

Rocket Contest

My name: ___________________________________________________

Team name: _________________________________________________

TrialLauncher’s

NameDistance Flown

Hit Miss Notes

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

Total

My Rocket Advice

My name: ___________________________________________________

What advice do you have for someone who is making a straw rocket? Write three tips you’ve learned for a friend who wants to make a straw rocket that flies a long distance. Be sure to include your work in your science notebook.

1. ____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

My Invention

My name: ___________________________________________________

Dr. Goddard’s invention was pretty amazing, and it changed the course of human history. Write a story in which you invent something amazing. What is your invention? How did you invent it? What can it be used for?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

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acknowledgementS - awim.org · *Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), is a global nonprofit...

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