A happy group of 2nd graders get a break from the classroom to see rockets in action!

I was first contacted by the Shaker Lane Elementary School to see what we could offer to a group of 2nd graders (125 to be exact).   It was quickly agreed that this young group may be too young to truly enjoy and succeed in a rocket building session, but that doesn't mean that they can't learn about and enjoy rocketry so we planned accordingly.

I came down one week and met with all six 2nd grade classes giving them an hour of discussion about model rocketry as well as a brief history of rockets through the ages with some interesting information about our manned and unmanned space program.

We talked about how rockets work and how this applies to model rocketry.  We then got the chance to see and discuss many different types of model rockets and also take questions from the class.  It was very interactive and very exciting as these kids asked many inquisitive questions and waited eagerly for the information.  As the sessions broke up and I prepared to move on to the next class, I was surrounded by groups of excited students wanting to learn more about this exciting subject.  Promises of returning to fly rockets only got them more excited.

I would imagine that each class had much trouble settling down to their standard lesson plan after I got them all fired up over rocketry!  Such is the price of education excitement!

The following week, as promised, I returned to fly a 30-40 minute demo for each of these wonderful classes.  This timeframe afforded me the time to prep the rockets again for the next class.  Six sessions in all, over sixty rockets flown and only 3 lost.  It was a good day and the kids had the absolute time of their lives.

This was made most evident when one of the teachers approached me with a large stack of papers.  These were done by the students.   They were rocket designs.  Designs drawn from their imaginations with descriptions of the rockets, how they would be built and what they would do.   Imagination.  Imagination extracted from the brain and assembled on paper with crayon and pencil.  This is how the moon landing was begun, decades before we got there!

On the left is a small photo album showing the fun and excitement we shared on launch day.  Check it out and then start making plans to bring YOUR rocketry expertise to a child near you!

Enjoy!