Rockets, Space Colonies, and Capsules
Activities
- Building and launching a model rocket (3rd–8th grades)
Students build and decorate a hand-made model rocket. Students discover more about rocket propulsion and flight, and incrementally add more mass to their rockets to determine how this change affects the maximum height of their rocket's flight. They also explore the effects of different vinegar-baking soda fuel mixtures on the flight of their rocket. - Designing and Constructing a Space Station (5th–8th grades)
Students design a space station using a set of paper cutout parts. The group divides into a Mission Control Team (design) and an Astronaut Team (construction), and mission controllers take turns telling the astronauts what to do to construct this design. - Build a Space Colony (3rd–8th grades)
Students design a colony and label their drawings/models, denoting the function of each area. They present their modules and colonies to one another and create a display.
- The Eggstronaut Egg Drop (3rd–8th grades)
Students brainstorm the factors affecting the speed at which a space capsule reaches the surface of a planet or moon and suggest how engineers might deal with each factor. They design, create, test, and refine a plan for a capsule that will protect an egg that is dropped from a height.
Information
- About Rockets (educator)
Information about the different parts of rockets and how they work. Written for adults. - About Space Stations: Living and Working in Space (educator)
Information about the different conditions and needs that humans experience aboard a space station. Written for educators, it is also appropriate for students grades 7 and up. - About Space Colonies (educator)
Information on the conditions and needs that humans experience in a space colony on our Moon or another world. Written for educators, it is also appropriate for students grades 7 and up. - About Space Capsules (educator)
Information on how space capsules work, written for educators, it is also appropriate for students grades 7 and up.
Other Resources
- Explore! Videos (educator)
The Explore! Fun with Science videos investigate children's questions with images, animations, video clips, and models. These videos were created for use by librarians and other informal educators, but can be requested for free by any educator. - Books, videos, and Web sites on Rockets (PK–adult)
Recommended resources on rockets, geared for a variety of ages. - Space Colony books, videos, and Web sites (PK–adult)
Recommended books, videos and sites for a variety of ages. - Space Station books, videos, and Web sites (PK–adult)
Recommended books, videos and sites for a variety of ages - Space Capsule books, videos, and Web sites (PK–adult)
Recommended books, videos and sites for a variety of ages - Dr. Walter Kiefer’s Planetary Science Web sites (all ages)
Useful Web sites about NASA and planetary science, and links to selected websites concerned with human space flight, astronomy, and science education.
