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This badge will provide Middle School instructors with information as to the history of rocket use and how Newton’s Law’s apply to rockets. This information sets the stage for the instructor to conduct not only the in-classroom instruction but also to conduct an actual model rocket launch by students utilizing data from the launch to determine the height/apogee of their individual rocket. The Badge lesson presented provides the participant enough information to formulate a culturally relevant, 5E Lesson Plan on the subject to include a student data collection sheet and a diagram of the launch area with safety procedures evident.

The mention of rockets quickly conjures up images of space exploration and discovery aided by cutting-edge technological innovation. For more than half a century, engineers and scientists have developed sophisticated rockets powerful enough to propel humans and satellites into orbit to explore space, observe changes in earth’s atmosphere, and develop solutions to enhance our life on earth. Astonishingly, the history, development, and principles of rocketry date back thousands of years ago. The invention of rockets has captured the imagination of many and continue to inspire NASA engineers as they strive to build the Space Launch System (SLS), the most powerful rocket ever created. Since the earliest inventions, the evolution of rocketry and its purpose have undergone significant changes which continue to fire the imagination of young and old alike.

This badge addresses the following standards:

Next Generation Science Standards

MS-PS2 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

Common Core State Standards Mathematics

6.MP.2/7.MP.2/8.MP.2 Reason Abstractly and Quantitatively

6.MP.4/7.MP.4/8.MP.4 Model with Mathematics

Common Core State Standards ELA

WHST.6-8.7 Conduct short research to answer questions

Audience: Middle School (6-8) Educators

Estimated Time to Complete: 7.0 Hours

This badge was created by Dr. Michael Stone of Salish Kootenai College

Click here to begin the steps of the badge.