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Lesson 9 Grades 6–8

Launch day and mission report

Worksheets (PDF) Open Rocket Builder

On this page
  1. Standards
  2. I can…
  3. Words to know
  4. Materials
  5. Steps
  6. Check for understanding
  7. Teacher notes

Standards

Code In plain words
MS-ETS1-4 Use a model's predictions, compare with a real test, and improve the design.
MS-ETS1-3 Analyze flight data to find what to keep and what to change.
MS-PS3-2 (connection) At apogee the Earth–rocket system stores the most gravitational potential energy.
7.RP.A.3, 6.SP.B.5 (math) Percent difference; mean of tracker readings.
WHST.6-8.2, SL.6.4–SL.8.4 (ELA) Write and present an explanation with data.

Practice: analyzing and interpreting data; obtaining, evaluating and communicating information. Crosscutting concept: systems and system models.

I can…

Words to know

Materials

Launch box: the rocket with the parachute packed and spare wadding; motors and igniters (an adult carries them); pad, rod, blast deflector; controller, safety key (adult's pocket), fresh batteries; inclinometers, tape measure, stopwatches; safety glasses; a bucket of water or extinguisher; F flight log on a clipboard. Warm-up: stomp rockets.

Steps

1Predictbefore you go

Write Rocket Builder's predicted altitude, the motor, and the time to apogee on the flight log. Each student writes their own guess too. (The rocket's mission card and the simulator's Predict, fly, compare log have these numbers.)

2Launchadult-run, students on jobs

Launch day, side view: the rocket on the pad, the adult at the controller at least 5 m (15 ft) back, students behind the spectator line, two trackers at measured baselines sighting the apogee, and the parachute drifting downwind apogee parachute wind tracker spectator line adult launch pad tracker ≥ 5 m (15 ft) baseline baseline
The launch site: an adult at the controller, everyone else behind the spectator line, trackers on the baseline.
15 ft (5 m): nobody inside when armedpadspectator line (class stays behind it)controller + key (adult)tracker 1tracker 2baselinewindno trees, power lines,roads or dry grass
Laying out a launch: the pad, the 15-foot circle, the spectator line and two trackers.
  1. Check wind (under 20 mph), the field and the pad area (no dry grass).
  2. RSO check: rocket sound, preflight done in Lesson 8.
  3. Wadding, parachute and cord in; nose on. (Students can help.)
  4. Adult: igniter into the motor, motor into the rocket, retainer locked; rocket on the rod; with the key out, clip the wires.
  5. Everyone back at least 15 ft; trackers at their baselines.
  6. Adult: key in. Countdown caller: "Range is clear! 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, launch!" Adult presses, then takes the key out.
  7. Trackers pinch their strings at apogee; timers time liftoff→parachute and parachute→landing.
  8. Recovery crew goes only when the adult says so.

Misfire: key out, wait 60 seconds.

3Compareon the field or back in class

  1. Altitude = baseline × multiplier + eye height; average the trackers. Check with the altitude calculator (rocket.quiverdesignworks.net/tools/altitude).
  2. Percent difference from the prediction.
  3. Why different? Mass, paint and glue drag, wind tilt, tracking error, motor variation.

4Mission reportone period

Poster, slides, written report or a 3–5 minute talk with the parts on planner C: mission, design (with CG, CP and score), the science (third law, stability, parachute), prediction vs flight (table or graph from W9), what happened and why, one change for next time, two safety rules.

Check for understanding

  1. Put in order: apogee, liftoff, burnout, landing, parachute opens.
  2. Two trackers measured 119 m and 138 m. Mean?
  3. Predicted 150 m, measured 120 m. Percent difference?
  4. Where is the rocket's gravitational potential energy greatest?
  5. Who removes the spent motor?
Answer key
  1. Liftoff, burnout, apogee, parachute opens, landing.
  2. (119 + 138) ÷ 2 = 128.5 m.
  3. 30 ÷ 150 × 100 = 20%.
  4. At apogee.
  5. An adult, after it cools.

Teacher notes

  • Predict, fly, compare: the prediction must be written before the flight. If the rocket can fly again, change one thing (motor, nose weight, parachute) and predict again.
  • First flight on the smallest motor that gets a ✓ in Rocket Builder. A rocket that comes back in good shape can fly again with a new motor and fresh wadding.
  • Under-12 students are trackers, recorders, timers and countdown callers; the motor flight itself is 12+, and adults handle all motors and igniters. Stomp rockets are a good warm-up for everyone.
  • No field or bad weather? Fly at a local NAR club launch (nar.org), or use Rocket Builder's simulated launch and do the report with the predicted numbers and the stomp-rocket data.
  • Rubric: five rows (science, design process, data and math, explaining results, communication and safety), 1–4 each, 20 points. It's on planner C.
  • Further resources: Apogee Components' free Flight Record data sheet (apogeerockets.com/Rocket_Books_Videos/Data_Sheets/Flight_Record_Data_Sheet) is another flight log format.
  • Launch-day kit from Rocket Builder: print each rocket's mission card (designer ▾ download menu → Mission card) for the clipboard; use the simulator's Predict, fly, compare log to record the prediction before the flight and the measured altitude after (Download log (CSV) for the report); and check tracker maths with the altitude calculator (rocket.quiverdesignworks.net/tools/altitude).

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