afternoon delight!
This is our contribution to the Science Fair Carnival, dreamt up by Dawn and hosted by the infinitely resourceful Stef of The Eclectic Homeschooler. Our family has cheated just a bit, featuring pictures from a science class the children took last week at a local nature preserve. Theresa (11) will narrate from here:
We began by assembling our rockets from a tube, a piece of straw, a strip of metal, three wooden fins, two pieces of string (elastic and teflon), a small blue ring, a premade engine, a nose cone, a paper tab and a streamer. The tube is the body of the rocket; the straw and the metal attach the rocket to the launch pad; the fins help it balance as it flies; the elastic string keeps the nosecone from coming off the rocket; the teflon string keeps the elastic string from burning up; the ring keeps the engine in place; the paper tab keeps the strings in place; the nosecone cuts the air in front of the rocket; the streamer allows you to see where your rocket has landed; and engine provides fuel and force for the rocket. Without the engine, the rocket would not be able to fly.
The launchpad is attached to a remote control. When the button is pressed, the engine within the rocket is ignited, causing it to lift off the ground. Please click here for a video of one of our attempts.
We loved shooting our rockets in this beautiful setting . . .
and, of course, while we were out, we found yet another mantis! They seem to follow us wherever we go!
I love everything about this post, except ... now I'll have that song in my mind all day .... :-/
Posted by: Karen E. | November 20, 2006 at 08:38 AM
Please accept my fervent apology, Karen! LOL!
Posted by: Alice Gunther | November 20, 2006 at 07:37 PM
Gosh, that is a beautiful setting for a rocket launch! Did this new mantis come home with you too?
Posted by: Jennifer | November 21, 2006 at 08:20 AM
Theresa, I cannot wait to share your wonderful post with my 11 year old Bookworm! What an exciting and memorable day!
Posted by: Dawn | November 21, 2006 at 07:49 PM
Great post, Alice -- my kids have been wanting to do this too! In fact, Theresa, they want to know what the nose cone is made of and where they can get one.
Thanks!
Posted by: stef | November 27, 2006 at 06:12 AM
Thanks for sharing! We haven't done a rocket launch in a long time. We will have to put some things together and do one for the boys. :)
Here in Roswell they are having a special "Rocket Day" this coming Saturday and they will be doing launches and lots of other stuff. Apparently Robert Goddard helped put Roswell on the map (second only to the aliens back in the 1940's, lol ).
Posted by: Krisann | November 29, 2006 at 01:09 PM