of it.
Launch the rocket several times while having students pay attention to how you operate the launch, the flight of the rocket, and the condition of the rocket after each recovery.
Possible monitoring questions include:
- How am I igniting the rocket?
- What did you observe of the rocket's flight?
- How could it have flown better?
- How did the rocket come back down?
- Where did the rocket come back down compared to where it took off?
- What is the condition of the rocket?
- Will this affect the next flight? How? Why?
- How was this flight different from the one before?
- Do you think the condition of the rocket had any effect on that flight? Why?
After launching the rocket, ask students how it was similar to and different from the launching of a real rocket, and to what they expected. Again, continue to focus the discussion on how the model was designed with certain constraints in mind.
Possible questions include:
- What would have made the launch more successful?
- Which of the external components contributed to the success or failure of the launch?
- Which of the external components were necessary, and which, if any, were purely for show? Why do you think these particular components were selected for this model?
- How could the design of the rocket have been modified? Do you think these modifications would be possible considering the constraints of designing it for use in a high school classroom?
Note: If information on the model rocket used in this lesson is available (e.g., information on the Internet, a catalog description), students could use this to inform their discussions and analysis of the rocket design throughout the lesson.
Because students have considered the thought processes that may have gone into the design of the model rocket, and have witnessed the launching of it, they could write an advertisement for this particular model. As alluded to in the context, this will have to be specific in order for it to be worthwhile and substantive.
The advertisement should address things such as:
- The consumer; specifically, how the model was designed taking into account the issues/constraints associated with who will operate, maintain, dispose, and take care of it.
- How the model is similar to a real rocket (in design and flight), as well as how it is different due to the constraints placed upon it.
Students may also want to test additional rockets and publish their own "Consumer Report" issue evaluating the rockets. This could be done as a cross-disciplinary assignment with English (writing articles) and computers (page layout and design).
Have the students research the design constraints for the NASA Space Shuttle on the NASA website.
Try a few of these questions:
- Are the constraints more or less strict?
- Are they more or less complicated?
- Does the availability of money directly solve any of these constraints?
- How is this the same as what you did and how is it different?
- How many of the similarities are considerations that any designer would have to make and how many are specific to rocketry?
Students can watch the film or read the book October Sky, which illustrates that there were many failures before there was a success.