Straw Rockets

Opening Discussion

Ask your students if they have ever seen a rocket before. What do we use rockets for? If you can, show them some NASA images or videos of rockets (there are a few example in Resources, above, to get you started, and you can also share some of the examples listed below in “Suggestions”). What do these rockets all have in common? Ask your students to list the parts of a rocket, and write the list down on chart paper, a white board, etc. where everyone can see it. Make sure that a “nose” or “tip” (called a nose cone), fins, a body, and something about propulsion or “power” are all included on the list. NOTE: Not every rocket has fins or even a nose cone, but for the purposes of this activity, it is good to look at the possible parts of a rocket and how those parts can impact its performance.

Ask students to brainstorm examples of “payloads” NASA (and others) delivers into space using rockets. Some ideas might include:

• Humans to the International Space Station in Earth orbit
• Humans to the Moon
• Supplies to the International Space Station
• Weather satellites, or other Earth-observing cameras into Earth orbit
• GPS satellites, Communications satellites
• Spacecraft to Mars

Tell your students that you would like them to design their own mini rocket models for launching whatever payload they can imagine up into space.

The Challenge

Create and launch your own (tiny) model rocket!

Doing the Activity

1. This activity involves launching small projectiles. While they are only made of straws and paper, it is still a good idea to exercise safety precautions, namely, making sure that children know not to launch their rockets while facing anyone. This can be accomplished by setting teams up in a line, all facing the same way; by having teams work in a circle with each team facing out; or by having a central launching area, which is set up as the only place where teams may launch their rockets.
2. Divide the group into teams of 3-4 children and distribute the materials to each team.
3. Share the challenge with your students – they must create a mini rocket that they will launch, using their breath, from a straw. Their challenge is to create a rocket that travels straight and far. Give them these basic steps to rocket creation:
   • Each child will have one skinny straw – this is each child’s launcher.
   • Each team will have three wider straws – these are the rocket bodies.
   • Fold down the end of one of the wide straws and tape it down. This will create a closed end of the straw, leaving one end open. This closed end is the “nose cone” of the rocket.
   • Slide the remaining open end of the wide straw over one of the skinny straws.
   • Head over to the rocket launch area, take a deep breath, aim the straws (away from people), and blow into that skinny straw to launch the wide-straw rocket prototype. What do you notice about how it flew? Can you think of elements you could add to the rocket to improve its performance? Should you change your launching technique?
   • Prepare the other two wide straw rockets by creating nose cones for them as well. Attempt a few test launches with each rocket.
   • Make some changes to your rockets, using the materials you have, to change how the rockets fly. Use the list of parts of a rocket that the class created together for ideas of changes you can make – how could you add fins, change the body or nose cone, or adjust the power or propulsion you are creating with your breath? What other changes might you make? After each change, test your rocket at the testing facility, and make sure to try a couple of launches. How did each adjustment you make to your rockets change how they fly?
   • Mark your launches on the floor with a piece of masking tape, and write your team’s name on the tape so you can keep track of your progress. You could also add a launch number to the tape, for an even more accurate record.
4. You may need to help some teams get started figuring out how to add fins (cut shapes out of paper, tape the fins on to the rockets), change the rocket body (cut the rocket, or connect straws together, or add elements using paper), etc. Pay attention to how big the fins, body adjustments, and other new elements are – if some of these features are too big, they may negatively impact the rocket. The best way for kids to see this is not for you to tell them, but for them to add these features and launch their rockets. Focus their observations on how the changes have changed their rocket flight.

Let’s Talk About It

After each team has tested a few rockets, bring the whole group together to talk about what they did. It would be a good idea to ask teams to leave the rockets at their work stations, and have this discussion away from the materials – it is very hard to concentrate on a conversation with an awesome rocket in your hands!

Did any teams have very successful launches? How do they define success? A straight-traveling rocket? One that travels a long distance? Both? Have teams take turns talking about their process, sharing the things they tried and changed, and showing some of their designs. If they had some success, what changes contributed to it? What else might they add to their rockets?

If they do not come up, introduce the idea of variables – that is, things that teams can change about their rockets that change how they perform. Remind teams that when they are testing their designs, they should change one variable at a time, and keep everything else exactly the same, so they can have a better idea of how the change impacted their rocket. Create a list of the variables they can change. Your list should include these:

• Fins
• Weight
• How hard the launcher blows into the straw
• The angle of the launch
• How tight the rocket is on the straw
• How securely closed the nose cone is
• How long the rocket is

There may be others as well. Tell teams that you would like them to explore these different variables, and how changing them changes their rockets. Ask them to especially pay attention to:

• Fins – do they help or hurt? How big or small should they be? Where should they go on the rocket?
• Weight – does it help to add some weight to the rocket? Where should the weight go – at the nose, the end, or in the middle?
• Launch angle – what happens if you aim the rocket with your straw parallel to the ground? What about nearly straight up in the air? What is the best angle for aiming your rocket?

Finally, set up a target for teams to aim at – this could be a globe, an archery-style target drawn on a piece of chart paper, a chair…whatever you like. Ask teams to aim for this target when they launch. How does having a target change their launching technique?

Build On What They Talked About

Give teams one more challenge – they should add a “payload” (a few taped paper clips) to their straw rockets.  Is it better to locate this extra weight up high near the nose cone, in the middle of the rocket, or lower on the rocket near the fins? Have teams go back to their designs and give them plenty of time to construct, test and refine. Encourage teams to add colors and/or designs to their rockets. You might have one or two more “Make it Click” check-in discussions over the session, particularly if the kids are engaged, and any teams are either making great discoveries, or are struggling. At the end, have each team line up and attempt to hit the target, giving them a few tries, and then have one final wrap up discussion to share what they discovered.