Level 2: Action and reaction

Rockets and landing · level 2 of 8 · rough age 7-8 (a guide for parents; anyone can start anywhere)

Every push has a push back. In this level you feel it with your hands, ride it on a skateboard, and find out why it lets rockets work in empty space. You learn why a rocket must carry its own oxygen, build a water rocket, and name the parts of a real rocket and what each one does.

Lesson	You will be able to
Push back	Say that when you push something, it pushes back on you just as hard
The skateboard and the ball	Explain why throwing a heavy ball from a skateboard rolls you backwards
No air needed	Explain why rockets work in space, where there is nothing to push against
Fuel and oxygen	Say why a rocket carries oxygen as well as fuel, and how oxygen could be made on Mars
The water rocket	Build and test a water rocket, and say why water works better than air alone
The parts of a rocket	Name the parts of a rocket and say what each part is for

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