My students need two model rocket launch sets, three bulk packs of 12 rockets each, two packs of model rocket engines, and 14 packs of 6 rocket igniters. They need four altitude finders, and they also need 35 copies of the book "Rocket Boys" by Homer Hickam.
I teach 8th grade science in a diverse, urban K-8 school. I am part of a three-teacher team. There is also a Math teacher and a Humanities teacher, who teaches a combination of social studies and language arts.
My students learn best by DOING - by immersing themselves in a topic and finding out everything they can about it - the history, the people, the experiments... anything and everything.
Our teaching team would like to give the students an experience like no other. We will do a thematic unit on Space. My students need two model rocket launch sets, which include 24 rockets, 24 engines, a launch controller and launch pad in each set; they need three bulk packs of 12 rockets each, two packs of model rocket engines, and 14 packs of 6 rocket igniters. They need four altitude finders, and they also need 35 copies of the book "Rocket Boys", by Homer Hickam. The Humanities teacher will teach the history (it will fit in well with her U.S. History curriculum), starting in the 1950's with the Soviet launch of Sputnik. She will have the students read the book "Rocket Boys", which tells the inspirational story of a group of boys who witness Sputnik and get motivated to launch rockets, eventually winning a national science fair. While reading the book, the students will find out about the United States space program and the Space Race, learning about the NASA missions from the 1950's to the present, incorporating important events from history that occurred during those times.
In science class, the students will learn about the Earth, moon, and space through activities and lessons that align with the science standards. As a culminating activity, every student will design and launch a rocket of their own. The math teacher will use this rocket launching as an opportunity for students to apply basic trigonometry skills by using an altitude finder and calculating the height of their rocket.
There is so much to learn about the universe and space, and a new era of space exploration is beginning. But students have to know the past, have to have a passion for the future, in order for this next phase to be successful. By doing a unit that incorporates the history of the United States, the heroes of early space travel, and a hands-on activity like rocket building, these students will have the knowledge and skills to become the next generation of decision-makers.
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