LESSON PLAN - Make A Balloon Rocket

Theme – Developing Self

CAREER SKILLS – Developing Self

KEY SKILLS – Communication, Problem Solving, Working With Others, Improving Own Learning and
Performance

WORK RELATED LEARNING – Learning For Work

COMPETENCIES – *ai, *aii, *bi, *ci, *cii, *di, **ei, **eii, **eiii, **eiv, **evi, ***fiv, ***kiv, ****li, ****mi

SUGGESTED SUBJECT AREA – Social Studies, English, Arts, Science

Learning Outcomes

 Students will gain an understanding of air pressure.

 Students will be able to research occupations to do with rockets e.g. astronauts, scientists.
 If possible this could be an opportunity for a scientist to come in and speak or someone related to this field of
work.

A Balloon Rocket uses air pressure to move forward. The air is forced out of the balloon quickly which creates
thrust to move the rocket forward.

Preparation and Materials

To make a working balloon rocket in your own room, you will need:

 1 balloon (round ones will work, but the longer "airship" balloons work best)
 1 long piece of kite string (about 10-15 feet long)
 1 plastic straw
 tape

Method:

1. Tie one end of the string to a chair, door knob, or other support.
2. Put the other end of the string through the straw.
3. Pull the string tight and tie it to another support in the room.
4. Blow up the balloon (but don't tie it) Pinch the end of the balloon and tape it to the straw. You're ready for
launch.
5. Let go and watch the rocket fly! You can experiment to figure out how to make the rocket go farther and
faster.