Students in Mr. Mure’s AP Physics classes are engaged in an end-of-year project called Amateur Rocketry. They create a functional rocket out of 3 pieces of paper, a manila folder, and some Elmers glue!
To build their functional rockets, they must relate elements they have learned including energy, momentum, friction, free fall, acceleration, drag, and impact depth. They coordinate these with engineering principles, and use manipulative skills to make something that works from scratch.
Students are given free rein over how they design their rockets, so there is a great deal of variety. When they launch them, they can compare and contrast to develop a clearer understanding of rocket science and what works and what doesn’t.
In the end, students realize that they are young amateur rocket scientists! It’s great to see them so proud of their work and to see how they naturally connect the physics they have learned to this project.
