Reply To: Module 5 – Rockets & Alien Chemistry

#213506
Fiona Kavanagh
Participant

    Activity set: rockets (This lesson can be done over the week, each day creating a new rocket for Space Week in the classroom)

    Introduction: Read a picture book about rockets and space e.g. Roaring Rockets, There’s No Place Like Space etc. Look at a variety of pictures of rockets and spacecraft online – discussion about what rockets do i.e. take astronauts and satellites into space.  Simple explanation of what a rocket is for the infant classrooms – a big tube that blasts off into the sky and travels into space, helps astronauts to the moon and other planets. Discuss what happens during the launch – countdown, lift-off, going into space – watch some short clips on Youtube.

    Activity:

    Build your own rocket – each child will be given materials e.g. to build a straw rocket or a mouse rocket. The children will be encouraged to share their creation and to name their rocket.

    Simple rocket experiment – use safe household items such as vinegar and baking soda or vitamin tablet to make a small rocket launch, e.g. fill small vitamin canister with a small amount of vinegar, help the children to take turns in placing a teaspoon of baking soda into the canister and quickly close the lid. Turn it upside down, step back and countdown for the rocket launching (counting backwards from 10 for infant classes to incorporate number in maths).

    Conclusion:

    Discussion – ask the children which rocket they liked the best – fizzing rocket, mouse rocket or straw rocket and why. Discuss which rockets went the furthest and which force moved the rocket e.g. mouse rocket was launched by the force of air coming from the bottle when squeezed.

     

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