Level 1: Push and go

Rockets and landing · level 1 of 8 · rough age 5-6 (a guide for parents; anyone can start anywhere)

Things start moving when they are pushed. In this level you push toy cars, launch a balloon rocket across the room, race fast and slow things, and send a rocket up into the sky. Then comes the hard part, coming back down: how to land softly, with parachutes, legs and rockets, on Earth and on Mars.

Lesson	You will be able to
Pushes make things go	Say that a push or a pull starts things moving, stops them and turns them
The balloon rocket	Make a balloon rocket and explain that air rushing out one way pushes the balloon the other way
Fast and slow	Compare speeds, and say that a bigger push makes a bigger change
Up into the sky	Explain that a rocket must push down harder than its weight to go up
Coming down gently	Explain why landing softly means slowing down slowly
Parachutes and legs	Name the ways landers slow down and land on Mars: heat shields, parachutes, rockets, legs and airbags

Next: Level 2: Action and reaction · Rockets and landing topic page