Saturday, July 18, 2009

Summer program: a 'blast' for students

San Antonio students create, launch rockets

Pilar Armstrong El Defensor Chieftain Reporter

Young students in San Antonio, N.M., had a blast on their last day of summer school, thanks to an engaging, hands-on math project.

Armed with drinking straws, modeling clay, scissors, paper and scientific curiosity, the students spent the better part of Thursday, July 16, creating air-powered rockets.

Once completed, the Pitsco Straw Rockets were launched across the San Antonio Elementary School gymnasium with the help of a hand-powered, pressurized rocket launcher.

SAES teacher Cynthia Romero said the students — who ranged in age from five to 14 — pooled their resources and brainpower and had a "blast-off" in the process.

"The kids all learned to work together with the older students offering a lot of help to the younger students," Romero said.

Following each students' launch, Romero measured the distance using a measuring tape. Students experimented with the amount of clay used for the nose of the rocket. Some discovered a direct correlation between the shape and weight of the nose and the distance the rocket traveled.

Sixth-grade student-to-be Brooke Beltran's rocket traveled 45 feet.

"That was pretty cool," Beltran said after her successful launch. "If you make a smoother, pointed tip it goes farther."

Autumn Torres, a teacher and counselor at the school, explained that at first, the students were predicting how far the rockets would travel. Torres helped the students mount the rockets on the rocket launcher. After a few rounds of launching, some began to notice a correlation with distance traveled and the shape and size of the rocket's fins. Kids were also comparing their results with each other.

"This project has a lot to do with math because of the angle at which the rockets are launched and the distance measured," said Torres.

Although Thursday's rocket project was the highlight of the summer program for most of the students, the monthlong summer session afforded the students with other math, science, reading and writing instruction.

The coursework was augmented by several fun and educational field trips, sponsored by the school.

parmstrong@dchieftain.com

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