My students need 48 rocket kits along with 48 rocket engines to launch our rockets. The electron launch controller is needed to ignite the engines from a safe distance.
Dream Big! My students have been able to participate in learning about rocketry, creating rockets, and watching them launch for the past 4 years. With continued economic hardships and school budgetary cuts, I have been so grateful to be able to use DonorsChoose to fund this project in past years.
Please continue to support our students and help provide them the same opportunities that previous classes have received from the gracious donors at DonorsChoose.org!
My class this year consists of approximately 150, 7th grade students. We live in a rural area with a very large physical boundary that includes many small towns. Some of our students can spend over an hour on the bus both to and from school. Our district continues to experience budgetary cuts which does not allow for funds for a project of this type. My students this year have been looking forward to this project as they have watched previous classes partake in this experience because of the continued support of donors at DonorsChoose.org. It is a great way to end our school year as I am so proud of the hard work that they have continued to exhibit all year long.
My Project
This project allows my students to "Dream Big"! We begin the project by viewing the movie "October Sky" which is about a young man, Homer Hickman, whose interest in rocketry is sparked after the launch of Sputnik. With the continued support of his teacher, he designs a rocket for a school science fair and ends up going all the way to the national level. His success opens up opportunities for a very admirable career, including working for NASA and helping in spacecraft design and crew training. After watching this inspiring movie, the students will learn about rocketry and the importance of rocketry in the history of the United States. They will then use the donated items from DonorsChoose.org to create model rockets. As a 7th grade class on a bright sunny day in May, we will launch all 48 rockets. It is amazing to watch the awe in their eyes, the excitement of watching their rocket fly, and to know that together we have instilled ambition in the hearts of so many young students.
This project has become a part of our school's history and is a great activity that ties perfectly into our 7th grade science curriculum.
The students learn to be creative, to infer, to use scientific tools, and to work together in groups to create a rocket that will fly! The students learn to "Dream Big" and instill a sense of excitement in regards to science and its use in our world. What better way to create scientific minds for our future. Your donations will help make this a reality!
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Barton and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.