Use of Model Rockets in Education Essay -- Education Essays

As students go about their lives in school, many of them are disengaged and what they do learn, they manage to forget over the matter of a few days. Many teachers have tried to find new ways of teaching that will both interest the students and help them to retain what they learn. Some of these ideas have worked well, while others do the opposite of what they are meant to achieve and disengage the students even more. One activity that a few organizations, such as Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Core, the Boy Scouts of America, and the Girl Scouts, have begun to use is the activity of building model rockets. Model rocketry has been a fun pass-time for many youth for years; they find it fascinating to watch something that they built soar hundreds of feet into the air, and then as the parachute deploys, see their masterpiece drift slowly back to them. All that these clubs are doing is taking this activity and using it to explain and teach the many concepts that go into th e launching of the rocket. James Goll and Lindsay Wlkinson, professors at Edgewood University, once said rockets can spark â€Å"classroom discussions about the chemistry topics of homogeneity, intermolecular interactions, kinetics, thermodynamics, and oxidation—reduction chemistry† (Goll & Wilkinson). In addition, Sylvia Nolte (Ed. D., Estes Educator) said, â€Å"rocketry is an excellent means of teaching the scientific concepts of aerodynamics and Newton’s Laws of Motion. It integrates well with math in calculating formulas, problem solving and determining altitude and speed.† (Nolte) One example where rockets help students in school is science. Chemistry, one branch of science, is a huge part of rocket building because of the fact that the fuel is comp... ...act right surface area, while making a shape that allows the rocket to do things that the designer desires such as be free standing, to spin on the way down as to stay straight, or even just to look cool. These are just the tip of the iceberg of the ways that model rocketry can help students. Model rocketry is a way that any organization can help their members to understand anything that they are trying to learn. Model rocketry will keep students engaged, help them retain what they learn, and let teachers teach in a new way. Works Cited Goll, James G., and Lindsay Wilkinson. â€Å"Teaching Chemistry Using October Sky." Edgewood.edu. Edgewood College, n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2014 Nolte, Sylvia, Ed. D. â€Å"hysics and Model Rockets.† EstesEducator.com. Ed. Thomas E. Beach, Ph. D., Tim V. Milligan, A.E., and Ann Grimm. Estes-Cox Corp, 20123. Web. 13 Mar. 2014