• Texas Tech Donates Machinery to High School Rocketeers
• From the Directors:
  Countdown to Summer
• Workshop Spotlight:
  Introduction to Rocketry: The Science of Stable Flight
• Classroom Connection: NASA's Space Place

Workshop Spotlight

Introduction to Rocketry: The Science of Stable Flight

This article concludes our series featuring workshops offered at this summer's teacher training workshops.

Whether it's the speed of the blastoff, the smell of the smoke or the rush of launching something into the sky, rocketry has always captured the imagination.

Transferring that excitement to science and math is exactly what Introduction to Rocketry: The Science of Stable Flight is all about.

"Watching a rocket launch is a great way to get K-12 students excited about engineering," says John Chandler, Ph.D., a director of the Center for Engineering Outreach. "Kids love seeing them shoot out of sight."

"And once you show them how the math and science they're learning in the classroom can make their rocket fly straighter and higher than their friends' rockets, you've got them hooked."

Using a series of rocketry design projects, Introduction to Rocketry: The Science of Stable Flight combines science concepts like Newton's Laws and Bernoulli's Principle with mathematics. The workshop's concepts can scale for any grade level beginning with basic math and moving up to trigonometry and even calculus.

This summer's 5-day workshop is being taught by Lynn Bryant from Estacado High School in Lubbock. A retired Mechanical Engineer turned educator, Bryant is a Level 3 member of Tripoli Rocketry Association and an avid rocket enthusiast.

Last year, students from Estacado High School launched a rocket that broke the sound barrier. Bryant helped out with the design of not only the rocket, but the lessons behind the project.

"A lot of teachers feel intimidated by the thought of launching rockets with their students," commented Chandler. "Lynn is experienced in making it fun, safe and educational."

Teachers attending this summer's workshop can expect a project-based experience full of hands-on lessons they can take back to their classrooms. In addition, each participant will receive a license of RockSim rocket flight simulation software for their classrooms. With RockSim, teachers have the option of teaching rocketry virtually, on the computer.

Introduction to Rocketry is recommended for teachers in grades 6-12. This year's workshop is scheduled for July 17-21 at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.