Teacher Resource Pack: Rocket Science
Key Stage 2
Rocket Science
Educational support materials for groups participating in this
activity
This pack contains information designed to support teachers
whose classes are visiting the RAF Museum and participating in
the Rocket Science Activity. It is intended to provide information
and suggestions for class lessons before and after the activity. All
the photos and diagrams are available for reasonable reproduction
to help with teaching.
Contents
1. Educational Background
2. Activities for the Classroom
Page
2
8
Pictures
1. V2 Rocket (image and diagram)
2. Saturn V Rocket (diagram)
3. Russian Rockets (diagrams)
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6
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Additional images from the RAF Museum’s collections can be
found online at http://navigator.rafmuseum.org/
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Teacher Resource Pack: Rocket Science
Key Stage 2
Rocket Science
Educational Background to the Rocket Science Activity
Links to the Curriculum
Rocket Science relates to a number of key areas of the National Curriculum.
This section of the teacher resource pack discusses the scientific, historical
and social factors which provide a background to the activity.
Forces of Flight
There are a number of forces which must be considered when designing a
rocket.
Gravity – This a force which attracts different masses together. The strength
of gravity is determined by the mass of the objects. The greater the mass of
an object the greater the gravitational attraction of the object. The strength of
the Earth’s gravitational field (when measured at its surface) is 9.81m/s2.
Thrust – This is a reaction force which propels an object forward in one
direction. It can be calculated using Newton’s Laws of Motion.
Air Resistance – This force is also referred to as drag. It is a frictional force
which opposes the movement of an object through air. Air Resistance can be
reduced by streamlining an object so that it has less surface area
Weight – This force is caused by gravity. It is the gravitational force between
an object and the Earth. Weight, like gravity is also directly proportional to
mass, it is measured in Newtons.
Balancing Forces
When forces are balanced there is no overall resultant force so an object will
remain stationary or travelling at a constant speed because the forces acting
on it cancel each other out. When one of these forces is made stronger than
the others the object will move in the direction that this force is pushing it.
Making one force weaker than the others means that the object will move in
the direction that the other forces are pushing.
Balanced forces mean
there is no change in
an object’s motion.
Unbalanced forces
cause the object to
move in the direction
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of the resultant force.
Teacher Resource Pack: Rocket Science
Key Stage 2
The History of Rockets
Rockets were first invented in China where they were called arrows of flying
fire and used as weapons. These rockets were similar to modern fireworks
yet even with this type of rocket there were still people who dreamed of
travelling to the Moon. According to legend this was actually attempted in
China during the 16th Century. A man named Wan Hoo attached forty seven
rockets to a wicker chair, he then ordered his forty seven assistants to light all
the fuses simultaneously. When the smoke cleared Wan Hoo and his chair
had disappeared.
Rockets flares were introduced in 1807 and similar flares are still used today
as maritime distress signals or even at football matches. Other ideas
experimented with during the 19th Century included rocket powered cars,
sleds and aircraft. Even a rocket postal service was tried out – this did not
work very well, as the post caught fire.
It was not until the Second World War that rockets as we know them today
started to be used. Just like their early ancestors these rockets were used as
weapons. They were designed by Wernher Von Braun, a German scientist,
and used to launch attacks on Britain. This type of rocket was called the V2
and can be seen in the Battle of Britain Hall at the RAF Museum. The V2 was
powered by a combustion reaction between Hydrogen Peroxide and
Potassium Permanganate. This reaction generated enough thrust to send the
rocket from is launch sites in France all the way to Britain.
Von Braun’s rocket technology was highly sought after and at the end on the
Second World War troops from America and the USSR tried to capture as
many V2 rockets as possible. They also both tried to apprehend Von Braun
and his design team. This would lead to the Space Race.
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Teacher Resource Pack: Rocket Science
Key Stage 2
The Space Race
Rocket technology became increasingly important during the Cold War as
America and Russian entered into the Space Race.
Russian rocket designer Sergey Korolyov used lots of thrust all in one go in
order to get his rockets to achieve the acceleration needed for them to go into
space. This technology was very simple to engineer and proved to be quite
effective as the Russians were able to launch the first satellite, Sputnik and
the first man, Yuri Gagarin into space. They were also the first to land a
series of unmanned probes (Luna 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 23 &
24) on the Moon. The Russian space programme went into decline after
Korolyov died in 1966, although the Luna programme did not end until 1976.
The Americans were using much more complex technology as Von Braun,
who had defected to America at the end of the Second World War, was using
a development of the technology behind the V2. Von Braun was using thrust
at several stages during launch and flight, which allowed his rockets to
accelerate for longer. The engineering difficulties that this method caused
stopped the Americans being able to achieve a first in space until 1969 when
they landed on the Moon.
Von Braun’s Saturn V rocket which carried the Apollo 11 astronauts to the
Moon is the basis of the technology that is used in the Space Shuttle today.
The Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle uses thrust in three stages. The first stage is the white,
solid fuel booster rockets, which once their fuel is used up are dropped back
down to earth using parachutes, making them recyclable. The second stage
is the red liquid fuel tank which contains Hydrogen and Oxygen.
Hydrogen is used because it is highly explosive and creates a lot of energy
when burnt. Oxygen is needed because there is less in the upper
atmosphere than on ground level and there is none in space so combustion
reactions cannot happen without extra oxygen. The third stage is attached to
the shuttle itself and is used throughout the mission to manoeuvre the shuttle.
This is particularly important during re-entry.
The shuttle has to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere at exactly 400 because if
the angle is any shallower the shuttle will bounce off the atmosphere like a
stone skimming across a pond. If the angle is steeper than 400 the shuttle’s
heat shield will not be able to protect it from the frictional heat generated as it
passes through the upper levels of atmosphere.
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Teacher Resource Pack: Rocket Science
Key Stage 2
V2 rocket being prepared for launch
circa 1944. Ground crew can be
seen working on the nose.
Diagram of a V2 rocket.
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Teacher Resource Pack: Rocket Science
Key Stage 2
Diagram of Saturn V rocket.
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Teacher Resource Pack: Rocket Science
Key Stage 2
Diagram of Russian rockets. Yuri Gagarin was launched
into space using the Vostok rocket, the Voskhod and
Soyuz rockets were used to launch the Luna probes and
Sputnik was launched using the Sputnik Launcher.
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Teacher Resource Pack: Rocket Science
Key Stage 2
Rocket Science
Activities for the classroom
Links to the Curriculum
Rocket Science relates to a number of key areas of the National Curriculum.
This teacher resource pack is intended to provide some suggestions for
classroom activities for a variety of subjects.
Science Activities
Activity: Which of the rockets made by your class flew the furthest? Discuss
why you think this happened. Look at how you could improve your rocket,
what would you change and why?
Activity: Discuss whether you think that the rocket launching was a fair test
or not? Remember that the rockets were released from the launcher with the
same amount of force.
Research: Your rockets were made out of paper, card and plastic. Find out
what materials real rockets are made of. Why do you think these materials
are used? Work out what properties these materials have that makes them
suitable for rocket design.
Activity: Look at rocket fuels, consider the chemical reactions which occur
when rocket fuel is burnt. Are the changes reversible or not? What state are
the rocket fuels used in? Can you think of any reasons for this? e.g. liquids
have lower volumes than gases.
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Teacher Resource Pack: Rocket Science
Key Stage 2
Maths Activities
Activity: What different types of shapes have been used for the wings of the
rockets made by your class? Measure the perimeter of these shapes and
calculate the area.
Activity: Work out what wing shape is the most common in the rockets
designed by your class? Use a variety of methods to display your data, in your
opinion which shows your results most clearly?
English Activities
Letter Writing: Write a letter to the person who led your activity or to the
Education Team at the RAF Museum, to tell them how you felt about your trip
and what you learnt.
Instruction Writing: Write a set of instructions on how to make a successful
rocket using the materials provided in the activity. Make sure that the
instructions are clear and easy to follow.
Creative Writing: Write an entry in an astronaut’s diary. Think about what it
might feel like to travel into space and what things you might experience.
Remember that your opinions will vary depending on the time period you
astronaut is from.
Art Activities
Activity: Design your own rocket logo. Look at the designs which are used
today. How will you make your logo distinctive?
History Activities
Research: Find out about the role the V2 rocket played in the Second World
War. Try talking to your community’s older people; perhaps they may be able
to share their memories of the V2.
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