The Seven Secrets of Rock-it Science | A Sample Lesson: Water Bottle Rockets
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Scene 3: Observations from the Experiment

Each student makes discoveries on their own level. For instance, when they launch their water bottle rockets, some students only discover that the rocket goes farther when it starts about one quarter full of water. Another student may discover additionally that it goes farther if it launches at a 45-degree angle. Another student may not care about any of that but notices that the bottle has fog inside after it lands. Another student may be fascinated that the pump makes fewer and fewer bubbles in the water the longer you pump. Another student may notice that the bottle is noticeably colder upon landing. Another student may notice that twisting in the cork makes the rocket go further. The list of their discoveries goes on and on.

We deal with children of all ages and abilities. If we were to tell the class what they should have observed and the principles behind that observation, it would fall on deaf ears. And if we went on to discuss Newton's three laws of motion, all eyes would glaze over and the joy of discovery would be lost because they didn't discover what we told them they should have discovered.

After the experiment, the instructor returns to the story, and many students are able to predict how it will end, given what they now know about action and reaction.

(In our home school classes, to maximize the benefit of the lesson, we encourage the parents to come and watch, and then have their child draw a picture about the class and write a few words about what they did, just as though they were telling a pen pal about the experience. Teachers often have the children do this, too, so the benefits of the science lesson are carried over into other subjects.)

Placing the cork securely in the bottle.

Adjusting the launch angle.