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Students talk about their favorite part of science lesson |
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Tuesday, 03 March 2009 |
 FIRTH — On a cold and slightly windy Wednesday afternoon, 36 fifth-graders from Firth Middle School shot off rockets as part of the Young Astronauts program.
By Leslie Mielke
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FIRTH — On a cold and slightly windy Wednesday afternoon, 36 fifth-graders from Firth Middle School shot off rockets as part of the Young Astronauts program.
The students built their rockets the previous week.
The plastic crafts achieved their height using a solid fuel propellant, Hill said. There was an electrical charge that set the rockets in motion.
Wednesday afternoon, some of the rockets achieved enough altitude for them to be born aloft for some quarter of a mile. Most of the rockets were recovered, Hill said.
Young Astronauts is an extra curriculum class that lasts eight weeks, teacher Brett Hill said.
“They study astronomy, physics, forces, Newton’s Law and other space related science,” he said. “This class tries to motivate and inspire kids to pursue careers in science and math.”
Hill has been teaching the class for six years.
Young astronauts Wyatt McAffee and Alan Schiess said they liked the stomp rockets best.
Stomp rockets are tube rockets, Hill said. Air is pumped into the rockets; students then stomp on a pad that shots air into the rocket to release it.
Learning how to prepare rockets was Tory Wiseman’s favorite activity, he said, and Zake Drake liked the rockets best.
“It was all pretty cool,” said Conner Wooton, “especially how scientists are improving how astronauts go into outer space.”
Kelsi Sullivan said she enjoyed eating freeze dried food.
“Learning about space” was Aliese Leslie’s favorite part of Young Astronauts, she said.
Sharon Thompson said she learned interesting stuff about space, such as “how far away planets are from other planets.”
“It is pretty cool learning about planets and what they are like,” said Hannah Grebstad.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 13 March 2009 )
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