Science Learning Community: Science and Engineering Lesson Plans
Balloon Rocket Design, Apollo 14
Brandon Powell
7/17/14
INFORMATION ABOUT THE LESSON
Grade Level and Subject Area
Grades 6-8
Time Frame
4-5 45 minute class periods
Objectives: Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Use the engineering design process to agree on the best design possible to make a rocket that is able to complete objectives stated
in the lab.
Next Generation Science Standards
MSETS1-2.
Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet
the criteria and constraints of the problem.
MSETS1-4.
Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool,
or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.
Standards for Technological Literacy
MSETS1-2.
Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet
the criteria and constraints of the problem.
MSETS1-4.
Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool,
or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.
Common Core State Standards in Mathematics
MP.2
Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
Common Core State Standards in English and Language Arts
RST.68.7
Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually
(e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table). (MS-ETS1-3)
Funded by an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title IIb Wisconsin Improving Teacher Quality Grant in
Partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Stout
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Science Learning Community: Science and Engineering Lesson Plans
RST.6-8.9
Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained
from reading a text on the same topic.(MS-ETS1-2),(MS-ETS1-3)
WHST.6-8.9
Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. (MS-ETS1-2)
Prior Learning
Prior to this activity students will have learned about many important rocket missions including Apollo 11 and Apollo 13. Students will
know how rockets have adapted since our first Apollo Mission, and the reason why the Apollo 13 mission as a failure. Knowledge of
the Newton’s laws will also be taught.
Materials
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Text Book
Various kinds of paper
Scissors
Various kinds of string
Balloons, all of the same brand
Hard plastic straws
Flexible plastic straws
Tape
Glue
Streamers
Any other material that you want to allow them to build their rocket with
LESSON IMPLEMENTATION
Objective: Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
Use the engineering design process to determine on the best design possible to make a rocket that is able to complete objectives
stated in the lab.
Pre-Assessment
3 Pre-lab questions provided by the instructor on the board. 1 Discuss differences between the scientific method and the engineering
design process. 2. How does a fuel source fuel a rocket? 3. What factors are important when NASA designs a rocket?
Procedure Day 1
Time
5 min
Instructional Strategies/Learning Tasks
1. Review prior lesson reviewing missions to the Moon.
5 min
2. Put students into prearranged groups and have students get into
those groups
5 min
3. Hand out 1 lab sheet (Appendix A) per group and go over
directions.
20 min
3 min
Purpose
4. Use a whole class discussion to introduce and define the
problem, which is included on the lab handout (Appendix A)
5. Before students begin building, give them 20 minutes to look at
and test the materials that they will be using. Recording should be
put in their notebook and used for the prototype.
Funded by an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title IIb Wisconsin Improving Teacher Quality Grant in
Partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Stout
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Science Learning Community: Science and Engineering Lesson Plans
6. Return their materials and get back into groups.
5 min
6. Explain that their homework is to go home and design their own
rocket and bring it to class tomorrow. Tomorrow they will share their
ideas with the group
Procedure Day 2
Time
Instructional Strategies/Learning Tasks
10 min
1.
5 mi
Purpose
Get students back into groups and share their ideas with the
rest of the group.
2. Students now must choose 1 idea to go with
30 min
3. Once a design is made, students may begin designing their
rocket. Students need to remember that there are 3 parts to this lab,
does it make it to the moon, does it make it back home, and cost.
Groups will be charged for every piece of material they take or
“buy.”
Procedure Day 3
Time
Instructional Strategies/Learning Tasks
10 min
1. Get students back into groups and share their ideas with the
rest of the group.
Purpose
2. Students now must choose 1 idea to go with
5 mi
30 min
3. Once a design is made, students may begin building their
rocket. Students need to remember that there are 3 parts to this lab,
does it make it to the moon, how fast it gets there, and cost. Groups
will be charged for every piece of material they take or “buy.”
Procedure Day 4
Time
Instructional Strategies/Learning Tasks
10 min
1. Students can have up to 10 minutes to finish building.
30 min
2. Students will be testing their rockets today.
5 min
Purpose
3. If their first trial failed, they need to brainstorm as a group and
make 1 modification.
Funded by an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title IIb Wisconsin Improving Teacher Quality Grant in
Partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Stout
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Science Learning Community: Science and Engineering Lesson Plans
Procedure Day 5
Time
Instructional Strategies/Learning Tasks
25 min
1. Today is the last day for testing. Groups that failed will get 1
more test.
20 min
Purpose
2. Students will then finish the lab questions and reflect on their
lab in their notebook.
Formative Assessment
The real assessment comes with the way that their design changes as the process goes on. I fully expect almost all rockets to fail the
first time. It is when they get a chance to rebuild and ask me questions that I see they are able to adapt and make corrections so
they are successful. With grading the lab, a rubric can be made and points assigned to the 3 objectives of the lab: Making it to the
moon, Speed, and Cost. Realistically there can be a “winner” based off of the points awarded on the rubric and that would be the
team that “wins NASA’s vote.”
Closure
With wrapping up, usually if one team figures out the ideal way to get the rocket to move, the rest will follow suit. However, it is fun
if a team can think outside the box and come up with an idea that is successful that you don’t expect. In the end a group discussion on
each groups thought process as well as how they got to their final design may help others in the class think differently or more
abstract when it comes to solving problems.
Summative Assessment
They will have 4 post-test questions to answer on their lab (Appendix A). Also, on the unit test I will put a question on the test
including a rocket that I built, what it was made from, and how it failed. It is up to the students on the test to suggest to fix and why
they would fix it the way that they did.
Funded by an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title IIb Wisconsin Improving Teacher Quality Grant in
Partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Stout
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Science Learning Community: Science and Engineering Lesson Plans
Balloon Rocket Design, Apollo 14 (Appendix A)
Introduction:
Shortly after NASA’s Apollo 13 failure, they turned to a new professional design team to design their Apollo 14
rocket. They have only 3 objectives: that it makes it to the moon in one piece carrying 1 passenger (a Lego man), it
makes it their fast, and it is cost effective. NASA is also limiting the materials that you can use, but you can use any,
and however many of the materials below, just be aware of costs. Your mission is to win NASA’s bid for Apollo 14.
Objective:
You need to build a rocket that is powered by balloon. Each group will be given 1 balloon and have access to the
Lego man, but must purchase the other materials. There is no limit to how much you spend, but remember NASA does
want a cost effective rocket. The balloon must be able to fly across the room in 1 piece with the balloon only being
blown up once.
Materials needed that you do not need to purchase
For each small group:
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1 balloon
pair of scissors
Lego man
Materials to purchase
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Can be found on the materials list (Appendix B)
Procedure:
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Science Learning Community: Science and Engineering Lesson Plans
1. Get together in your group.
2. Come get 1 of each material on your table 1 list and bring it back to your table. In your science notebook make a
table of the material, its properties, and its uses in a rocket.
3. For homework everyone in a group will go home and design their own rocket. The next day in class everyone in
the group will share their ideas and the group will pick the 1 rocket they want to build.
4. Come and purchase the materials that you need for the rocket. Understand, you will be charged for every piece
of material that you take, even if you don’t use it.
5. You will have 40 minutes total to design and build, then you will test.
6. If your rocket is successful on the first try, you are done and can complete the post-lab questions. If your rocket
failed, you will have 30 minutes to redesign and retest your rocket.
Post Lab Questions.
1. You had 3-4 rocket designs to choose from, why did you choose the one that you did? Would any of the other
ones that you prototyped have been successful the first time?
2. Out of all the materials, besides the balloon, which one do you think was the most important and why?
3. How many tries did it take for you to be successful? If you weren’t successful in the 2 tries you were given, do you
think a 3rd modification would have made you successful?
Funded by an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title IIb Wisconsin Improving Teacher Quality Grant in
Partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Stout
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Science Learning Community: Science and Engineering Lesson Plans
4. How do you rate this lab? How can it be better?
Materials list (Appendix B)
Listed below are the materials you are allowed to use on the rocket. Each has the amount you can
have and the price of each. This sheet must be turned in at the end of the lab to show your cost
amount, and my initials must be on the bottom.
Item
Quantity
Price
String
1 foot
$1.00
Hard plastic
straw
1
$0.50
Flexible straw
1
$0.25
Tape
6 inches
$0.50
Pipe cleaner
1
$0.25
Glue stick
1
$1.50
Construction
paper
1 piece
$0.50
Steamers
1 foot
$0.50
Velcro
3 inches
$1.50
Rubber bands
1
$0.25
Paper clip
1
$0.25
Toothpick
5
$0.25
Yarn
1 foot
$0.50
Fishing line
1 foot
$1.00
Quantity
purchased
Your price
Total:__________
Funded by an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title IIb Wisconsin Improving Teacher Quality Grant in
Partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Stout
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