Fun With Science - Rockets

Resources

Videos

Several videos are available through NASA's Central Operation of Resources for Educators (NASA CORE). Educators can search the NASA educational products and resources database at http://core.nasa.gov. A search using the word “rocket” or “flight” produces several products.

History of Space Flight: Reaching for the Stars, Finley-Holiday Films, 2001, 90-minute DVD for ages 9–18. Follow space travel from rockets of ancient times to Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, the space shuttle, and future missions. Historical images, recent coverage, and computer animations are used to illustrate the history of space exploration.

Liftoff to Learning: Newton in Space, 1992, 13-minute video for ages 8–11. Astronauts demonstrate Newton's Laws of Motion.

Flight of Apollo 11 (The Eagle Has Landed), 1969, 30-minute video for ages 12–18. The first Moon landing is portrayed from launch to recovery.

Apollo Moon Landing: Out of This World, Finley-Holiday Films, 2001, 70-minute DVD for ages 9–18. The story of human space flight is presented from President Kennedy's challenge to the Apollo missions.

America In Space — The First 40 Years, Finley-Holiday Films, 1996, 60-minute DVD for ages 12 to adult. This program chronicles America's space history.

Books

Roaring Rockets (Amazing Machines)
Tony Mitton, Kingfisher, 2000, ISBN 0753453053
This colorfully illustrated, rhyming preschool book examines how rockets work and what they do.

Finding Out About Rockets and Spaceflight (Explainers Series)
Usborne Explainers, Educational Development Corporation, 1982, ISBN 0860205843
Children ages 4–8 will enjoy this colorful exploration of rockets.

A Day in Space
Suzanne Lord and Jolie Epstein, Scholastic Paperbacks, 1986, ASIN 0590410997
This book for ages 4–8 follows NASA astronauts to find out what it takes to prepare for a mission, and the practical sides to life on the space shuttle. A Day in Space also explores some of the common experiments in space (mixing oil and water).

Space Travel
Ian S. Graham and William Wharfe, Two-Can Publishing Company, 2000, ISBN 1587284650
Children ages 5–8 interactively explore space travel through a presentation of basic facts, images, games, and more.

Floating Home
David Getz, Henry Holt 1997, ISBN 0805065806
A young girl explores the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral and becomes involved with a space shuttle mission. Children ages 6–9 will enjoy learning about the astronaut preparation presented in this book.

Launch Day
Peter Campbell, Milbrook Press, 1995, ISBN 1562941909
Children ages 7–9 can learn about the preparation, launch, flight, and return of the shuttle Atlantis.

The U.S. Space Camp Book of Rockets
Anne Baird, David Graham, and Buzz Aldrin, William Morrow, 1994, ASIN 0688122299
Children ages 8–10 can explore the origins and history of rocketry. Lots of photographs and models.

My Life as an Astronaut
Alan Bean, Pocket Books Publishing, 1988, ISBN 0671634526
This autobiography of Bean, the lunar module pilot on Apollo 12 (1969) and the fourth U.S. astronaut to walk on the Moon, will be enjoyed by children ages 8–10.

On the Shuttle: Eight Days in Space
Barbara Bondar and Roberta Bondar, Maple Tree Press, 1993, ISBN 1895688124
Follow the Discovery mission of January 1992 and learn about living and working in space. Well illustrated, with many photographs.

Space Camp: The Great Adventure for NASA Hopefuls
Anne Baird and Robert Koropp, Morrow Junior Books, 1992, ASIN 0688102271
Children ages 8–11 will enjoy following 12 peers through a 5-day space camp. The book emphasizes teamwork and the need for good math and science skills.

Apollo 11: First Moon Landing
Michael Cole, Countdown to Space Series, Enslow, 1995, ASIN 0894905392
America's manned spaceflight program is presented in this well-written and illustrated book for ages 9–11.

Apollo 13: Space Emergency
Michael Cole, Countdown to Space Series, Enslow, 1995, ISBN 0894905422
Children ages 9–11 can follow the flight of Apollo 13.

The Dream is Alive: A Flight of Discovery Aboard the Space Shuttle
Barbara Emury and Tom Crouch, Harper & Row, 1990, ASIN 0060218134
Based on the IMAX film, this book for children 9–11 explores the space shuttle program, including its history, technology, challenges to flight, and human elements.

Rocket Science: 50 Flying, Floating, Flipping, Spinning Gadgets Kids Create Themselves
Jim Wiese, Wiley, 1995, ISBN 0471113573
Physics, electricity, optics, chemistry, and acoustics are the subject of engaging experiments that will challenge children ages 8–11.

Adventure in Space: The Flight to Fix the Hubble
Elaine Scott and Margaret Miller, Hyperion, 1995, ASIN 0786800380
Children ages 8–13 go behind the scenes with the astronauts to learn about preparations for a space flight to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. The book follows the mission from start to finish.

The Story of Flight: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
Judith E. Rinard, Firefly Books Ltd, 2002, ISBN 1552976947
For ages 9–12, this book presents a well-illustrated history of aviation, from hot air balloons to the space shuttle.

The Wright Brothers for Kids: How They Invented the Airplane, with 21 Activities Exploring the Science and History of Flight
Mary Kay Carson and Laura D'Argo, Chicago Review Press, 2003, ISBN 1556524773
Children ages 9–12 follow the story of the Wright brothers as they invent the first flying machine. Several hands-on activities are presented for children to explore the principles of flight.

The Dream is Alive: The Flight of Discovery Aboard the Space Shuttle (Imax/Smithsonian Wide World Series) Barbara Embury and Tom Crouch, Harpercollins Children's Books, 1990, ASIN 0060218134
Children ages 9–11 learn about the history and technology of the space shuttle in this oversized, well-illustrated book.

The Kid's Book of Space Flight and Space Stations/Book and Airlinks Modular Flight System
Kent Alexander, Running Pr Book Publisher, 1991, ASIN 0894718789

Space Flight (The Story of Flight, 12)
Ole Steen Hansen, Crabtree Publishing Company, 2004, ISBN: 0778712230
Children ages 9–12 will enjoy this exploration of space flight.

Wings and Rockets: The Story of Women in Air and Space
Jeannine Atkins, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 2003, ISBN 0374384509
Atkins follows the adventures of women in flight from Katherine Wright, sister of Wilber and Orville, to Amelia Earhart, describing the obstacles they faced and the goals they achieved. For ages 9–12.

1000 Facts About Space
Pam Beasant, Kingfisher Publishing Company, 1992, ISBN 1856978117
This book for ages 9–12 presents planetary science and rocket information and provides lists of useful tidbits, “strange, but-true” facts, space records, and more.

The Space Shuttle
Allison Lassieur, Children's Press, 2000, ISBN 051622039
Lassieur presents the beginnings of the shuttle program, the layout of the shuttle, the Challenger disaster, and International Space Station information for ages 9–12.

Space Flight: A Smithsonian Guide
Valerie Neal, Cathleen Lewis, and Frank Winter, Prentice-Hall, Macmillan Publishing Company, 1995
Space Flight explores space travel from early rockets to the Apollo missions. The book includes extensive imagery, a presentation of landmark events, and introductions to the scientists and astronauts.

Race to the Moon: The Story of Apollo 11
Jen Green, Mark Bergin, and Fiona MacDonald, Expedition, Franklin Watts, 1998, ISBN 0531153436
This book explores the events and technology leading up to the Apollo 11 flight.

The Space Shuttle Operator's Manual
Kerry Joels, Ballentine Books 1982, ISBN 0345341813
Readers experience all the stages of a real mission.

Do Your Ears Pop in Space?: And 500 Other Surprising Questions About Space Travel
Mike Mullane, Wiley and Sons 1997, ISBN 0471154040
Shuttle astronaut Mike Mullane shares what it is really like to travel in space.

Web Sites

NASA's Beginner's Guide to Model Rockets shares basic math and physics principles that govern the design and flight of model rockets. Young adults and adults can study how model rockets operate.

NASA's Beginner's Guide to Aeronautics helps young adults and adults learn more about aeronautics, including aerodynamics, propulsion, and rocket systems. The content covers basic physics principles and is well illustrated.

NASA's Aerospace Activities and Lessons site provides a wide variety of aerospace activities and lesson plans generated by teachers, educators, and NASA engineers and scientists. Activities include explorations of aerodynamics, propulsion, rockets, jets, and more. Multiple activities demonstrate Newton's laws and the principles of rocketry. Complexity varies as does age level.

Newton in Space is a video and learning guide that explores Newton's three laws of motion. The video can also be ordered from NASA CORE.

Space Basics is a video and learning guide that explores questions about space flight. How do spacecraft travel into space, remain in orbit, and return to Earth? Why do astronauts float in space? The video can also be ordered from NASA CORE.

Launch a Rocket from a Spinning Planet provides a hands-on activity and illustrated explanation of what goes into determining when to launch a rocket. For ages 9–14.

The Digestible Earth-to-Orbit Launch Vehicle challenges children ages 10–13 to work in teams to design a new launch vehicle to replace the space shuttle.

Rocket Salad, first-place winner in a contest sponsored by the National Dairy Association, shows children how to create a “rocket-shaped salad” from bananas, pineapple, apples, and other fruits and vegetables.

Rocket Detector allows children to enter their current locations to learn if and where they can see the International Space Station, space shuttle, or Mir in the night sky.

A Timeline of Rocket History is a graphical presentation tracing rocketry from ancient times to the present day. Photographs, paintings, and drawings made by artists from both within and outside NASA illustrate the history.

Space Place presents The History of Aviation and Modern Rocketry.

The NASA History Division presents a collection of Web resources related to the Apollo Program.

The JSC Digital Image Collection is a searchable collection of more than 9000 NASA press release photos covering the American manned space program, from the Mercury program to the STS-79 shuttle mission.

Yesterday's Space Facts is a database of space facts searchable by date.

Keep up with the latest news about the U.S. space shuttle program.