Discuss Are all rockets
Discuss Are all rockets the same shape? What is important about the shape of rockets? RACING ROCKETS Does everyone agree? G ROCKETS getting started this is how you make your basic rocket shape. Roll a strip of paper or card round a pencil (not too tightly) to make a tube. Tape it in three places to keep it together, then take the pencil out. Flatten one end of the tube, fold it over and secure it with tape. Slide the tube onto a straw. Blow your rocket across the room and see how far it goes. Don’t blow too hard. test your ideas How you can improve its flight? Do you think fins will help? Where is the best place to put them? What shape should they be? What about the size of the rocket? Is card better than paper? Does it help to put some weight in the rocket? Try different rockets and choose the one that you think is best. share your ideas Hold the ‘Racing Rockets’ competition. Each team needs to tell everyone else about their rocket design and then measure how far the rockets travel. Test each one three times. You could send your designs to Windy Astralbody and put the winning rockets on a podium. extra things to do What other ways could you make a rocket? Find out what you can from books and the internet, then make and test some. You could write a consumer report to compare and contrast rockets. Several countries are trying to use rockets to travel into space. Can you find out more about them? British Science Association Registered Charity No. 212479 and SC039236 32
Super Spinners Organiser’s Card About the activity This activity is designed to get the children thinking about helicopter blades, and how different blade sizes change the way a paper spinner falls. Mr Sycamore arrived for work in a helicopter, amazing the students. He’s testing which helicopter is best. Can the students help to find out if a longer blade design will make a difference? Through this activity you will support SUPER your SPINNERS group to: • Think about what makes paper fall in different ways • Test whether a paper spinner falls in different ways with different blade sizes • Share their ideas with the group. Kit list NERS To make the spinners they will need: • A4 Paper • 30 cm ruler • Metre ruler • Paperclips or Blu–Tack • Scissors • One ready–made spinner to show the children how they work • Large and small templates for spinners (if you think children will need them) – see following page • Stopwatches • Other types of paper and card 33
