Building A Balloon Rocket Car
Building a Balloon Rocket Car
Activity 1: The Skateboard Exercise
Activity 2: Building the Balloon Rocket Car
1. Overview
2. Introduction
3. Activity 1: Skateboard Exercise
4. Activity 2: Building the Balloon Rocket Car
5. Activity Questions
6. Assessment
7. Suggestions for expanding this activity
8. Illinois State and National Learning Standards
Early Elementary
Late Elementary
National Standards
Curriculum Standards
Overview
During these hands-on, minds-on activities, students will be asked to build balloon powered rocket cars and complete an exercise using skateboards. These activities demonstrate Newton's Laws of Motion, especially the Third Law, which states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
The activities are simple and inexpensive, yet they provide endless possiblities for expanding lesson plans and meeting learning standards.
The minimum amount of time needed for this lesson is 90 minutes.
The balloon powered rocket car activity was adapted from National Aeronautic and Space Administration's(NASA) Rockets: Physical Science Teacher's Guide with Activities. Lesson design by university student volunteer, Brooke Dashiels.
Introduction
Introductory Activity
Blow up a balloon, but don't tie it. Ask the students to predict what will happen to the balloon when you let it go. Let it go and watch what happens! Here are some questions to start your students thinking about forces:
What happened to the size of the balloon when it was released?
Where did the balloon go when it was released?
What caused the balloon to move when it was released?
Did all of the air come out of the balloon?
What pushed the air out of the balloon?
Additional Discussion and Questions
The Introductory Activity leads into a discussion of Newton's Laws of Motion and how they can be applied to understanding forces, particularly the forces which act on rockets. Here are some sample questions to get the discussion started:
1. What is a force?
2. Is a heavier object
Activity 1: The Skateboard Exercise
Activity 2: Building the Balloon Rocket Car
1. Overview
2. Introduction
3. Activity 1: Skateboard Exercise
4. Activity 2: Building the Balloon Rocket Car
5. Activity Questions
6. Assessment
7. Suggestions for expanding this activity
8. Illinois State and National Learning Standards
Early Elementary
Late Elementary
National Standards
Curriculum Standards
Overview
During these hands-on, minds-on activities, students will be asked to build balloon powered rocket cars and complete an exercise using skateboards. These activities demonstrate Newton's Laws of Motion, especially the Third Law, which states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
The activities are simple and inexpensive, yet they provide endless possiblities for expanding lesson plans and meeting learning standards.
The minimum amount of time needed for this lesson is 90 minutes.
The balloon powered rocket car activity was adapted from National Aeronautic and Space Administration's(NASA) Rockets: Physical Science Teacher's Guide with Activities. Lesson design by university student volunteer, Brooke Dashiels.
Introduction
Introductory Activity
Blow up a balloon, but don't tie it. Ask the students to predict what will happen to the balloon when you let it go. Let it go and watch what happens! Here are some questions to start your students thinking about forces:
What happened to the size of the balloon when it was released?
Where did the balloon go when it was released?
What caused the balloon to move when it was released?
Did all of the air come out of the balloon?
What pushed the air out of the balloon?
Additional Discussion and Questions
The Introductory Activity leads into a discussion of Newton's Laws of Motion and how they can be applied to understanding forces, particularly the forces which act on rockets. Here are some sample questions to get the discussion started:
1. What is a force?
2. Is a heavier object