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It’s the return of the space race! Challenge your students to build a balloon “rocket” that will travel across the classroom. This hands-on, inquiry-based lab will teach students how to design an experiment as they investigate Newton’s laws of motion and rocket thrust. Students tether a balloon to fishing line stretched across the room and then must find a successful combination of orientation, drag and thrust that will launch the balloon across the room. The task requires students to run various trials and then modify their balloon rockets based on what they learn in each trial. A fun and stimulating lab that your students will never forget! Includes detailed background information, instructions and valuable Teacher Notes with teaching tips and answers to pre- and post-lab questions.
Complete for 30 students working in pairs.
MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
MS-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.
MS-ETS1-4. 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.
HS-ETS1-2. Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
HS-ETS1-3. Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
