Activity Set- Rockets
I would read some books such as How a Rocket Works from the UK Space Agency, or something more fun like Aliens in Underpants Save the World. I would discuss with the children the idea of space travel and how rockets help us explore beyond Earth. I would show pictures of different types of rockets such as the space shuttle or Saturn V and use these to talk about the shape and size of the rockets.
I would use the comic strip of Marvin and Milo building their Penny Rocket and the YouTube video of the Mouse Rocket. I would ask the children which rocket design they think will work better and why. I would break the class into different groups and provide them with the necessary resources such as an empty milk carton, paper for the mouse head, coins, and an empty 2L bottle to create their own Penny or Mouse Rockets.
When the rockets are finished we would look at them and predict how far they would fly and which ones would fly the furthest.
I would also use this topic to cover a cross-curricular project and I think that the Junk Couture project which we took pat in recently would be ideal for this. I would get the pupils in groups to build large versions of rockets large enough for the group to fit inside, using cardboard, paper, tape glue etc, this project really helps with problem solving, critical thinking and of course allows their creative skills to be showcased fully.