Woodhull Rocket Launch Culminates Science Unit
Hundreds of colorful rockets soared high into the sky at Woodhull Intermediate School as a popular science unit culminated with the traditional launch on the lower athletic field before a crowd of parents. It was an impressive scene to behold.
The rocket launch is an annual ritual for the school's sixth graders and it always elicits an excited response. On launch day, many of the slick rockets raced upward and carried a surprisingly far distance. Some went in unexpected directions. Regardless of where they end up, students seemed to be happy.
The youngsters assembled as a group on the field, admiring each other's rockets and posing for photos as they awaited their turn on the launch pad. Many parents were on hand to watch. Students cheered for each other as the rockets were launched one-by-one. There was no shortage of enthusiasm.
The recent science unit included engineering, physics and an explanation of battery power. Students even painted and decorated their rockets to personalize them prior to launching. The exercise highlighted the concepts of thrust, gravity and friction, along with those of force and motion.
"Building model rockets was fun," sixth grader Casey Smith said. "First, we attached the body tube and the nose cone together with the shock cord. Then, we put the engine assembly inside the body tube. After that, we glued the stabilizing fins to the body tube and attached the launch lug. Then, we spray painted the rockets. Mine was pink and purple and my friend David Casey's was black and gold. Once everyone had spray painted their rocket, we attached the parachute and recovery system. We also put in the engine and igniters."
After students reached the lower athletic field and sat down, teachers explained the safety rules. Finally, it was time for the first rocket to be launched. "Everyone was cheering," Mr. Smith said. "It went far up into the air. It was extraordinary. Then, the rest of the blue team launched their rockets. When I launched my rocket, it was amazing! It went really far up and landed very far down the lower field."
Some rockets got hung-up in the surrounding trees. After everyone had launched their rocket, students went on a rocket scavenger hunt. "If you were lucky and found your rocket, you got to take it home," Mr. Smith said. "If your rocket landed in a tree, you couldn't bring it home."
The Huntington School District has traditionally taken great pride in offering a comprehensive and wide ranging science program. Teachers say that elementary grade level students have an especially strong thirst for experimentation and exploration and the rocket launch taps into those desires.
"We had a lot of fun at the rocket launch," Mr. Smith said.
(Woodhull sixth graders Casey Smith and David Campos contributed to this story.)