Rocket Launch Culminates Huntington Intermediate Science Unit
Huntington Intermediate School students launched dozens of rockets, accompanied by all the colors and sounds one might expect, during a culminating activity for one of the most popular science units of the year.
The event is an annual ritual for the school’s sixth graders and it produces the same level of excitement today that it did years ago. Some of the rockets reached the parking lot far of in the distance and others landed on the school roof where the custodians assisted in bringing them down.
All sixth graders were outside on the athletic field together. Rain forced the launch to be postponed the previous week and the threat of more rain led to additional reshuffling of the schedule for classes.
The science unit included engineering, physics and an explanation of battery power. The students even painted and decorated their rockets prior to launching them before a crowd of parents and relatives. The exercise brought the concepts of thrust, gravity and friction, along with the concepts of force and motion, into better focus.
The Huntington School District has long prided itself on a comprehensive and wide ranging science program. Elementary grade level students have an especially strong thirst for experimentation and exploration and the rocket launch taps into those desires.
Huntington Intermediate School students constructed outdoor launching pads and then took turns sending their rockets off into the sky. The units floated back to the ground as a result of tiny parachutes that were carefully tucked into the cavity of each rocket.
Successful launches were met with cheers. Students often chased after their rocket as it made its descent. Some of the parents who turned out for the launch snapped photos to show family members and to keep as mementos.
The school’s fifth graders are already anticipating their turn on the launching pad next fall. It’s a tradition that hasn’t worn thin yet.
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