Lift Off!!!

Lori ElpersOctober 14, 2009

Education 373Mr. Sandrick

Definitions

• Models- something that represents something else in a smaller way.

• Rocket –a jet engine containing its own propellant and driven by reaction propulsion

• Phenomena- a rare or significant fact or event

Background Information• “Rockets fly in the air, but not like airplanes or helicopters.

They are much faster and more powerful. They can fly straight up with such force that they pass through the atmosphere into outer space.

• Hundreds of year ago, rockets were invented in China. The first rockets were shaped like arrows and they were not very powerful. The power of early rockets came from gunpowder.

• The shape of rockets has changed. They are not wider for their length and they have big fins on the bottom. The fins help the rocket stay on course. Rockets are also much more powerful than they were in the past.

• A rocket can only take off when a blast of energy forces it to move. The energy is created by some kind of fuel. Gunpowder was not a very good source of energy. Today, two liquid fuels are mixed together and as they burn hot gases are created. The gases shoot out the back of the rocket, pushing it off the group and up into the air.”

http://www.essortment.com/all/kidsinformation_olj.htm

Things to Think About

Write your responses in your Journal

• You just read what a model is, so can you think of some examples of models?

• Earth, Solar System, Animal and Plant Cells

• Why do you think scientists use models when studying different phenomena?

• They may represent a process or thing that happens too slowly or too quickly, may be too small or big to observe directly, or it may be dangerous

Think About

Write your responses in your Journal

• Why do you think scientists have made a model of the solar system?

• Why do you think scientists have made a model of plant and animal cells?

• If we wanted to study how rockets lift off into space, what would be the best way to do it?

• This is what we are going to do!!! We are going to make a rocket at a much smaller scale

Things we need

• Film canister with lid

• Water

• Antacid tablets

• Goggles

• If you were given these materials, do you think you could figure out how to make a model sized rocket?

Step #1• Take you film canister and fill it with about

five milliliters of water.

• Cut an antacid tablets (Alka-Seltzer) in half.

Stop!!!!

• Put your goggles on for safety before moving on.

Step #2• The next step has to be done fast, so read

through this slide first.

• Put one half of it in the film canister with water.

• Put the lid on and set the film canister down on a level surface with the lid facing down and back away.

• Wait and see what happens!!

Lift Off

• Click on the following link to watch it all happen!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN0yhHeZMa8

Things to Think About

Write your responses in your Journal

• Can you think of some reasons why it is easier to make changes to a model, rather than a real rocket, when performing test trails?

• How do you think real rockets lift off, compared to your model rockets?

Standard

• Science Standard– 6.7.2-Use models to illustrate processes that

happen too slowly, too quickly, or on too small a scale to observe directly, or are too vast to be changed deliberately, or are potentially dangerous.

http://dc.doe.in.gov/Standards/AcademicStandards/StandardSearch.aspx

Resources

• http://dc.doe.in.gov/Standards/AcademicStandards/StandardSearch.aspx (Standard)

• http://www.indianastandardsresources.org/files/sci/sci_6_7_2.pdf (Activity Came From)

• http://www.merriam-webster.com/ (Definitions)

• http://www.essortment.com/all/kidsinformation_olj.htm (Background Information)

• http://www.1888freeonlinegames.com/gpgm-free-online-rocket-games-to-play-21.html (Online Games)