Lesson Plan

Water Rocket Launch

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

How do rockets fly? Teams design, build, and launch a rocket made from a two-liter bottle to explore forces on a rocket such as Newton's Laws of Motion.  During the design phase, young engineers draw a diagram of their rocket and include a list of materials needed. After the launch, teams complete a reflection sheet on the performance of their rocket.

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Instructional Ideas
  • Use an altitude tracker for older learners to determine the height of the rocket
  • Have teams develop a presentation on how their rocket compared to other rockets, both in peformance and design
Classroom Considerations
  • If not using a kit or building a launch pad, be careful that rockets are stable on the ground so they launch upward
Pros
  • The resource contains seven pages of reading material for background information
  • Contains an optional challenge of carrying a payload on their rocket
Cons
  • The plans either require knowledge of how to build a water rocket, or how to use a kit or other resource in order to build the rockets