Table of Contents Activity Overview.................................................. 3 Standards Addressed by Activity...................................... 4 Construction QuickView............................................. 11 Teaching Tips LaunchGuard Assembly.................................... 14 Safety................................................ 14 Construction Tips/Helpful Hints.............................. 16 Materials by Activity...................................... 16 Troubleshooting......................................... 18 Level I Lesson Plans................................................19 Investigating Average Velocity (science/math, tech).........45-90 minutes* Investigating Energy I (science/math, tech)..............90-180 minutes* Calculating Apogee Similar Triangles (math/science).......45-90 minutes* Designing Fins (tech/math, science, LA)...............90-180 minutes* *Times are estimates and will vary with class size. Engineering Challenge I............................................. 49 Level II Lesson Plans.............................................. 55 Investigating Maximum Velocity (science/math, tech).......45-90 minutes* Investigating Energy II (science/math, tech).............90-180 minutes* Calculating Apogee Trigonometry (math/science).........45-90 minutes* Determining Optimum Ballast (tech/math, science, LA).....90-180 minutes* *Times are estimates and will vary with class size. Engineering Challenge II............................................ 85 Supplemental Lessons...............................................91 Resources Vocabulary............................................ 92 Solid-Fuel Rockets Word Search.............................. 93 Solid-Fuel Rockets Crossword Puzzle........................... 95 Careers Related to Aerospace and Rocketry...................... 97 Content Resources The History of Rocketry................................ 98 Proportions: Solving Similar Triangles..................... 100 Basic Trigonometric Functions........................... 101 Speed and Velocity.................................. 102 Energy........................................... 103 Newton s Laws of Motion............................. 104 Forces Acting on a Rocket............................. 105 1
2 Table of Contents continued Resources Additional References........................................ 106 Assessment Pretest I.............................................. 107 Posttest I............................................. 108 Pretest II............................................. 109 Posttest II............................................. 110 Glossary.............................................................. 111
Teacher Instruction Investigating Average Velocity QuickView Students calculate the average velocity of a solid-fuel rocket. Standards Addressed NSTA 5-8 Students develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry. Students use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data. Students think critically and logically to make the relationships between evidence and explanations. Students communicate scientific procedures and explanations. Students use mathematics in all aspects of scientific inquiry. Students develop abilities for technological design. Students evaluate completed technological designs or products. NCTM 6-8 Students select and use appropriate statistical methods to analyze data. Students discuss and understand the correspondence between data sets and their graphical representations. Students recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of mathematics. ITEA 6-9 Students develop abilities to assess the impact of products and systems. Students learn to design and use instruments to gather data. Time Required 45-90 minutes (will vary with class size) Content Areas Primary: Science Secondary: Math, technology Vocabulary altitude variation velocity Students develop and evaluate inferences and predictions that are based on data. Students use conjectures to formulate new questions and plan new studies to answer them. T-19
Investigating Average Velocity Teacher Instruction Materials Completed rocket Tape measure Altimeter Stopwatch Velocity Data Sheet Pencil Launcher T-20
Teacher Instruction Investigating Average Velocity Procedure Before beginning this activity, students should have assembled their rockets. 1 Hypothesize how much the recovery system reduces the rocket s average descending velocity compared to its average ascending velocity. Record this hypothesis on the data sheet. Make sure the students give a percentage decrease in their hypothesis. They may give a minimum or maximum percentage decrease. For example, a student could hypothesize the rocket s average descending velocity will be less than one-third its average ascending velocity. 2 Stand 150 meters from the launcher with an altimeter. Some altimeters may call for measurements to be taken from a different distance. Measure the altitude from the distance required by the altimeter you use. 3 When the rocket is launched, point the altimeter at the rocket and pull the trigger. When the rocket reaches its apogee, release the trigger. Record the altitude measurement given by the altimeter. If additional altimeters are available, have multiple students stand in different positions along a 150-meter radius circle around the launcher. Average their measurements excluding any clearly extraneous measurements to increase the accuracy of measurements. Students without altimeters should be placed a safe distance from the launch sites. 4 Use the stopwatch to time the flight of the rocket from takeoff to apogee. Also measure the time of descent of the rocket. You may wish to use multiple students as timers and average the times. Someone should announce the rocket has reached apogee so that all timers and altitude measurers will take their measurements at the same time. 5 Record the apogee height and flight times on the data sheet. If multiple measurements are taken of height or time, have students record the average measurement. 6 Calculate the average velocity of the ascending rocket. Only have students calculate vertical velocity. Do not have them try to consider any horizontal drift. 7 Calculate the average velocity of the descending rocket. Only have students calculate vertical velocity. Do not have them try to consider any horizontal drift. 8 Complete the Velocity Data Sheet. T-21
Student Instruction Investigating Average Velocity QuickView Calculate the average velocity of a solid-fuel rocket. Materials Completed rocket Tape measure Altimeter Stopwatch Velocity Data Sheet Pencil Launcher This page may be photocopied for use within the classroom. By honoring our copyright, you enable us to invest in research for education. S-23 R-3
Investigating Average Velocity Procedure 1 Hypothesize how much the recovery system reduces the rocket s average descending velocity compared to its average ascending velocity. Record this hypothesis on the data sheet. 2 Stand 150 meters from the launcher with an altimeter. 3 When the rocket is launched, point the altimeter at the rocket and pull the trigger. When the rocket reaches its apogee, release the trigger. Record the altitude measurement given by the altimeter. 4 Use the stopwatch to time the flight of the rocket from takeoff to apogee. Also measure the time of descent of the rocket. 5 Record 6 Calculate the apogee height and flight times on the data sheet. the average velocity of the ascending rocket. Student Instruction 7 Calculate the average velocity of the descending rocket. 8 Complete the Velocity Data Sheet. S-24 This page may be photocopied for use within the classroom. By honoring our copyright, you enable us to invest in research for education.
Student Instruction Investigating Average Velocity Velocity Data Sheet Hypothesize how much the recovery system reduces the rocket s average descending velocity compared to its average ascending velocity. Give your hypothesis in terms of a percentage. Complete the table with the appropriate information. Test Number Apogee Height Time of Ascent Average Ascent Velocity Time of Descent Average Descent Velocity What was the average percent decrease between the average ascending velocity and the average descending velocity? This page may be photocopied for use within the classroom. By honoring our copyright, you enable us to invest in research for education. S-25 R-3