After school rocketry club - 2nd rocket suggestions?

Hi Folks,

I'm a middle school teacher. I used to build and launch rockets about 20-25 years ago - but nothing since then. When school resumes I'll be teaching an after-school program on rocketry. Based on a friends recommendation and some basic research, I plan to start them each building one of Balsa Machining Service's School Rocket, but I'm trying to decide where to go from there.

My budget is pretty limited, so I was thinking that if I could find a few rockets that were a bit more complicated, I could have them work in pairs. Rather than have them all build the same rocket (something I might consider if I could get a cheap enough bulk pack) I was thinking a few different styles might be fun. Any suggestions what rockets i should look at?

Remember these are 11-14 year old kids with no experience (aside from the BMS school rocket).

Thanks!

I'd recommend a payload rocket like the Estes Comet Chaser. Having an assortment is always a good idea. My 9th grade science teacher had an assortment and we drew straws to get to pick which rocket we got to build. I unfortunately had a high number and got stuck with a spin fin.

Estes has a educator pack (#1753 that has three different designs (Alpha, Viking, the Generic E2X)) Mix that up with a pack of Comet Chasers, and keep the extras for next year (presuming the budget allows for it).

esteseducator.com

https://www.apogeerockets.com/Education
https://www.apogeerockets.com/index...h_result&search_in_description=0&keyword=bulk

You are awesome! I love to hear about teachers like you!

The schools we work with lean toward the Estes Alpha for bulk packs. HL & Michael's usually have them in stock and a substantial discount coupon on a regular basis. Almost any level 1 or 2 kit regardless of the manufacturer would be great for beginners.

Verna
www.vernarockets.com
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HHJHOK6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
https://www.facebook.com/RocketBabeDustStorm

Fernando,

Welcome to the forum and hats off to you for putting rocketry in front of the kids.

Please check out the Fliskits Educator's page. Jim has done lots of work with schools and running is own classes and has put together lots of information; check out the various tabs at the top of the page. He offers lots of different models as bulk packs for groups like yours.

Let us know where you are. If there is a club near you, they could provide a valuable resource for knowledge and, later, launch opportunities when you get too big for your school yard.

When our club did a cadet program, the 2nd rocket was the Pratt Hobbies Polaris. https://pratt-hobbies.com/proddetail.asp?prod=K-33

It's a big rocket- 24" that makes good flights on the same motors used to fly the BMS school rocket.

I like the payload idea that was suggested. You could even do something like instead of doing a 2nd rocket, get the parts to have the kids make a payload section for their BMS rocket. It would be a bulkhead/coupler, a small screw eye and a length of BT-50 tubing each (you can get all that from BMS).

kj

I have a radical idea. Build a bigger rocket in the E or F range as a whole team. Or maybe 2-3 of them depending on how many kids you have. Why? Because the inner child in all of us likes "bigger is better". The kids will feel like they have exited the "Kid Zone" and are doing "Real" rocketry. Something of the size that TARC (Team America Rocket Contest) teams fly. If you need some help with this, contact your local rocket club (NAR or Tripoli) and there is sure to be someone to help. I know kids that age can do it, as we have middle school kids in the TARC competition.

https://rocketcontest.org/

You can add an altimeter and really excite the kids. They can record weather data and compare the altitude they get during different weather conditions.

But this is just my opinion. You'll find that the really small rockets often go as high or higher than the big ones, due to being so light and low drag. So be sure you pick a rocket that fits your field, and allows you to launch it even if your launch day is kinda windy. That way you won't have to keep postponing flight day till you have perfect weather.

Last: Thanks. We need more teachers like you. I mentored at a high school last year. The teacher started the TARC team 13 yrs ago when TARC first started. Unfortunately, he retired, and it doesn't look like anyone is going to keep it going. I have shifted to another school who lost their mentor, but it's sad to see an entire program just fizzle out.

If this is to be a school year long project, you may want to start a little slower and build up to building a Blackpowder rocket. I work with 4H here is SC and we have a "flight club" after school program. They start out with puff rockets, then balloon rockets, paper rockets (air powered), Micro rocket (MicroMax motor and my own el cheapo rocket design, less than $1.50 to build and launch) then a 13 mm Estes motor rocket (again my design and under $5 to build and launch) and finally the Estes Make it Take it rocket on a 18mm motor. This year we will be adding some time with open rocket and letting them design their own rocket to meet a specific goal. I might build the best design and bring it for the last day and launch it.

I can share my rocket designs for the el cheapo microMaxx and the 13mm if you want them, just PM me and I will try to put together a parts list of where I get all the parts and what I do to make it into kits. Also designs for launchers for the paper rockets, so you can build them yourself.

Hi, Jim Flis of FlisKits here . Stop by our web site (educator site listed above) and see what we have to offer. We have a wide selection of kits from skill level 1 (beginner) to 5 (master modeler) and will bulk pack any kit in our line.

Check out the Thing-a-ma-Jig, I think you'll like it

Good luck with your after school program and contact me at any time should you need any assistance or just want to talk rocketry!


Sent from my iPad using Rocketry Forum