Lesson plan

Rockets

Summary
Shoot off rockets powered by gas pressure, generated by various means.
Science content
Chemistry: States of Matter, Properties of Materials (K-7)
Physics: Motion and Forces, Newton’s Laws, Gravity (K, 2, 6)
Physics: Energy forms, Conservation of Energy (1, 3, 4, 5)
Earth/Space: Extreme Environments, Space Exploration (6)
Procedure

Choose two activities for a lesson.

Shoot off film canister rockets.
Discuss the chemistry and the gas pressure that builds up and sends it upwards.
Set off the more powerful baking soda and vinegar rocket as a demonstration, which uses the same mechanism.

Instead of making the gas pressure from a chemical reaction, a chamber can be compressed to increase gas pressure: air pressure rocket (very powerful - be careful) or stomp rocket.

Discover chemistry that makes real rockets fly.

Energy transformations in rockets.
Baking soda and vinegar/Alka seltzer rockets use chemical energy into motion energy.

Grades taught
Gr 4