Registration | Log In

Search Grants | Fulfilled Grants | More About Find It, Fund It, Florida

Share

Please share this page to help in fulfilling this grant.

Goal

To demonstrate rocketry principles through a cooperative, problem solving project in which sixth graders will design, build, and launch a water rocket. 

What will be done with my students

During the summer of 2006, I attended Project Launch hosted by Florida Gulf Coast University. The two week seminar dealt with effective inquiry based teaching strategies for Space Science using the Conceptual Change Model, which challenges student preconceptions by asking students to expose their beliefs on a scientific concept, confront their beliefs, accommodate the new concept and to extend it into their lives (Schmidt, Saigo and Stepans, 2006). One of the activities during the seminar was the construction of water rockets as a way to explore space science concepts and to act as a problem solving challenge. During spring, it is my goal that all sixth grade science students at Oakridge Middle school participate in this inquiry based science project in which they will work in cooperative groups to create their own water rockets. This project will serve approximately 350 students. Students will be working in groups of 3 or 4 students to construct a rocket using a 2 or 1 liter plastic soda bottle. They can then choose from a number of materials such as balsa wood, foam board, card stock paper, duct tape, parachutes, and recovery system parts to construct the wings, fins, nose cone, recovery system, and other design elements. Using the scientific method, students will hypothesize the best plan for their rocket, manipulate and control variables, see their hypotheses verified or refuted, analyze their findings, and create a plan to improve upon their rocket design. Students will have approximately one week to design, build and launch their rockets. The great thing about water rockets is that this will be an investment that Oakridge Middle School can use with our students for years to come since the only materials that need to be renewed each year are plastic soda bottles and water to launch the rockets. The launcher uses water and pressurized air to launch the rockets high into the sky.  

Benefits to my students

Water rocketry is one of the most exciting hands-on science activities. Converting empty plastic soda bottles into high-flying rockets provides a great learning experience for students and is a way for students to discover important scientific principles such as Newton's laws. Students will have the opportunity to use important science skills such as observation, predicting, communicating, team work, controlling variables, measuring, accuracy, making models, collecting and interpreting data through this inquiry based project. Working in cooperative groups, students will design, construct, launch, and evaluate their water rockets. Not only is this a fun, hands-on inquiry-based project but it will also challenge students to apply the science skills they have learned throughout the sixth grade. 

Budget Narrative

The Bottle Rocket Smorgasbord is a great starter pack for advanced bottle rocketeers. Students can supply 20-ounce, 1-liter, or 2-liter bottles and use them to construct their own high-performance bottle rockets.

The Smorgasbord contains a cornucopia of materials - transition and nose cone templates, Ping-Pong balls, three types of fin material, body tubes, string, sandpaper, parachute reinforcement rings, and more. Enough to build 25 different rockets. Requires cool-melt glue gun and glue, scissors, and tape, sold separately. This pack was created so students could design their own rockets, so no instructions are included.

Axillary supplies allow students choice in bottle rocket design features and materials.
 

Items