8th Grade Rockets and Satelites

Week 4 Rockets and Satellites
Teacher Candidate’s Name: Sienna Whaley
Date Created: 9/17/2022
Content Area: Science
School: Onsted Middle School
Grade Level: 8th grade
Lesson Title: Blasting off! - Rockets and Satellites
Time: 58 min
Michigan Academic Standards: (include code and standard)
MS-ETS1-1 Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to
ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential
impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
Performance Based Learning Objectives:
 With 58 minutes of instruction, students will be able to explain how rockets reach
space and what satellites do for us.
Materials: (Low tech, including number needed)

Teacher:
 NASA Soda-straw rocket template (105 copies)
 A pre-built soda straw rocket
 Discussion question sheet (105 copies)
 Sharpened pencils (30)
 Tape
 Scissors (30)
 Straws (105)
 Rocket videos
 Moon cut out
 Trash can
Students:
 Pencil
 Paper
Technology: (High tech, mark all that apply; indicate if no technology is being used)
o Teacher laptop o Digital camera
o SMART Board o Document camera
o LCD projector o Digital microscope
o SMART Senteos (class set) o Video camera
o Computers o Scanner
1
o iPad or tablet o Color printer
o iPod or mp3 player(s) o Calculators
o Early childhood learning technologies o FM system
o Webcam o Other______________
2
Bibliography/References: (in APA format)
NASA - How to Make a Soda-Straw Rocket. (n.d.). Retrieved September 17, 2022, from
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/jpl/education/soda-straw-rockets.html
Owen, J. (2016, February 15). How the Apollo Spacecraft works: Part 1. YouTube. Retrieved
September 19, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=8dpkmUjJ8xU&feature=youtu.be
Prior Learning Connections: (Background knowledge support)

 This is an introductory lesson for rockets and satellites
 Students will work individually while building their rockets and completing their
discussion questions sheet
Differentiation/accommodations:
 slides for visual learners
 Oral discussion for auditory learners
 Students with a disability may receive adapted materials from their special education
teachers.
Special Concerns (including medical, behavioral, and/or environmental):
 N/A
Assessment:
Formative:
 Science Challenge
 Exit Ticket
 Discussion
Summative: N/A
During Lesson: (General guidelines for the lesson; your plan/ “script” begins under Part 1)
 Science Challenge (10 min)

 Paper Rockets (10 min)
 Paper Rocket discussion (5 min)
 Rocket video (6 min)
 Satellite discussion (10 min)
 Rockets now vs in the past? (10 min)

Part 1: Engagement/Warm-up: (10 min)
 Science Challenge (FA)
o List the two types of eclipses A: Lunar and Solar
3
o What three objects must be aligned for an eclipse to occur? A: sun, Earth, moon
o What is the name of the darker, smallest part of the shadow in an eclipse? A:
Umbra
o How many full moons do we get in a year? A: twelve full moons
Transition: “After successfully completing our science challenge, we have a new

challenge! This challenge is to get to the moon!”
Part 2: Instruction/Exploration: (roughly 40 min)

 I will ask students how could (or did) we get to the moon?
 I will demonstrate the rocket that they will create
o I will show off the paper rocket and shoot it towards the “moon”
 The moon will be the moon cut out attached to the trash can. When
students have created their rocket, they will each have a chance to get
their rocket to the “moon.”
o I will walk students through the steps to create their paper rockets
o Once they have created the rockets, they will shoot them to the moon.
 I will first ask them to blow into the rocket/straw while holding the
rocket in place
 They should feel their breath pushing back
 This demonstrates propulsion as the air you blow in comes out
in the opposite direction (Newton’s 3rd law)
o For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction
 I will separate students into three groups
 Group 1 launch rocket closely
 Group 2 launches their rocket at a middle distance
 Group 3 launches their rocket at the other end of the room
 Each rocket only gets one breath (to represent one fuel stage)
o Once all have had a chance, any remaining rockets will be transported
manually to the moon (they will throw them away)
 We will discuss how (if at all) their rockets were able to get to the moon (FA)
o “Were your rockets able to get to the moon? Why or why not?
o “Group 2 and 3, were your rockets even close? Why do you think so?
o If you could modify your rocket or launching sequence (number of breaths) to
get your rocket to the moon, how would you?
 “Real rockets use rocket fuel instead of giant straws and puffs of air. They use rocket
fuel”
 “In order to have enough fuel to reach orbit, rockets were made to be multistaged”
 I will show the Multistage rocket video to show how a rocket is launched due to
Newton’s 3rd law.
 We will then discuss what satellites are (both natural and artificial) and what they are
used for
o I will also explain what geosynchronous means and how satellites use it
4
 We will discuss how rockets have changed between now and the past
Transition: “Rockets and satellites play a big part in space exploration! For our next class, we
will learn about our journey to the moon and what we discovered about the moon”
Part 3: After Lesson: (5 min)

Closure:
o We will go over the discussion questions
Notes/Reflections: (to be completed by the teacher candidate as reflection AFTER implementation of
the lesson)
 There is ample evidence on reflection of instructional effectiveness
 At least two pieces of evidence relative to reflection on instructional effectiveness are present and accurately
articulated
Strengths of the Lesson:
Areas for Growth:
Focus for next lesson: (should align with Areas for Growth)

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Week 4 Rockets and Satellites

Teacher Candidate’s Name: Sienna Whaley

Date Created: 9/17/2022

Content Area: Science

School: Onsted Middle School

Grade Level: 8th grade

Lesson Title: Blasting off! - Rockets and Satellites

Performance Based Learning Objectives:

Materials: (Low tech, including number needed)

Prior Learning Connections: (Background knowledge support)

Special Concerns (including medical, behavioral, and/or environmental):

 Science Challenge (10 min)

Transition: “After successfully completing our science challenge, we have a new

Part 2: Instruction/Exploration: (roughly 40 min)

Part 3: After Lesson: (5 min)

Strengths of the Lesson:

Areas for Growth:

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