Aim for the Stars

Curriculum

The curriculum is modular. A school picks a preset of one, two, or three sessions, and the modules inside that track are selected to fit the grade level, the class period length, and the topic the class is already working through.

Every track is built around a rocket the students assemble themselves and launch. What changes between the tracks is how much time there is to teach the physics before the launch and how much analysis happens after it.

Choose a track

Three presets

1 Session

Build and launch

One build-and-launch activity with a physics concept taught as part of the build.

  • Concept introduced during the build
  • Students assemble their rockets
  • Launch and short debrief

45 to 60 minutes.

2 Sessions

Build, then launch and analyze

The build gets its own session, which leaves the second session free for the launch and what the results show.

  • Session one: build
  • Session two: launch and analysis

Two sessions, 45 to 60 minutes each.

3 Sessions

Concept, build, launch, iterate

Adds a dedicated concept lesson before the build and a design iteration round after the first launch.

  • Session one: concept lesson
  • Session two: build
  • Session three: launch, analysis, and a redesign round

Three sessions, 45 to 60 minutes each.

Module library

The units a track is assembled from

Each track is put together from these modules. The four below have been delivered so far, and they are a starting point rather than the full catalog.

New modules get written for schools that need them. If your class is working through a topic that is not on this list, say so in your request and the module is built around it. Schools can also ask for a specific combination from the list, or leave the selection to the program once the grade level and topic are known.

  • Water bottle rockets

    Air pressure propulsion. Students build a rocket from a plastic bottle, then pressurize and launch it.

    Objectives

    • Explain how compressed air forces water out of the bottle and pushes the rocket up
    • Connect the launch to Newton’s third law: every action has an equal and opposite reaction
    • Build a rocket with fins and a nose cone that flies straight
    • Predict how a change to the design will change the flight, then test it
    Materials
    Each pair of students gets two plastic bottles, tape, scissors, and cardboard. The program brings the launch system.
    Duration
    45 to 60 minutes, adjusted to the class period.

  • States of matter

    Physical science lesson delivered alongside the rocketry build.

    Objectives

    • Name the states of matter and describe how particles behave in each
    • Identify plasma as a fourth state, using a plasma globe demonstration
    • Describe what changes when matter moves from one state to another
    • Point out the liquid and the gas doing the work inside a water bottle rocket
    Materials
    Demonstration equipment, including a plasma globe. Supplied by the program.
    Duration
    45 to 60 minutes, adjusted to the class period.

  • Estes model rocket launch

    Solid motor ignition, parachute recovery, and range safety.

    Objectives

    • Describe how a solid rocket motor produces thrust
    • Explain each stage of a flight: ignition, boost, coast, ejection, and parachute recovery
    • Follow the range safety procedure used at every launch
    • Explain how the parachute brings the rocket down safely
    Materials
    Estes model rockets with A-class motors, igniters, and a launch pad and controller. Supplied by the program.
    Duration
    45 to 60 minutes, adjusted to the class period.

  • Aerodynamic forces

    Thrust, drag, lift, and weight, and how each one acts on the rocket the students built.

    Objectives

    • Identify the four forces acting on a rocket in flight
    • Explain how fins and nose shape affect drag and stability
    • Observe drag directly using an airflow demonstration
    • Use the four forces to explain a flight they watched
    Materials
    Airflow demonstration equipment. Supplied by the program.
    Duration
    45 to 60 minutes, adjusted to the class period.

Not seeing the topic you teach? The module list grows with the schools that ask. Name the unit in your request and a module gets written for it.

The instructor demonstrating a plasma globe to a small group of students gathered around a counter.
Plasma demonstration during the states of matter module.

Two activity types

Water bottle rockets and Estes model rockets

These are different activities. Most schools run the water bottle build. The Estes launch adds a solid motor and an electric igniter, so it runs with adult supervision of both.

Students around a long table cutting cardboard fins and taping them to plastic bottles during a build session.

Water bottle rockets

Propelled by air pressure. This is the default for most schools.

Space
An open field.
Supervision
A teacher from the school, present for the session.
A class seated on the grass at the edge of a field, watching a model rocket climb overhead.

Estes model rockets

Commercial solid motor with parachute recovery. Sessions use A-class motors.

Space
An open field at least 100 feet across, the minimum the National Association of Rocketry safety code sets for A motors.
Supervision
A teacher from the school, present for the session, and adult supervision of the motor and the igniter.

Logistics

What the school provides, what the program brings

The program brings

  • Build materials for every pair of students: bottles, tape, scissors, and cardboard
  • Launch systems for both rocket types
  • Demonstration equipment for the concept modules
  • The instruction, start to finish

The school provides

  • A room with table space for the build
  • An open outdoor area for the launch
  • A teacher from the school, present for the whole session

That is all. The school does not need to buy anything.

A one page summary of the tracks, modules, and logistics, for sharing with administrators and science staff.

Download the curriculum summary (PDF, 115 KB)

Request a session

Tell us your grade level, student count, and outdoor space, and which track looks right for your schedule.

Request a session

Questions first

Email the program directly if you want to talk through what the sessions cover before requesting a date.

nolanariask@gmail.com