WATER ROCKETS: Teachers Handbook

At left, Jake Winemiller attempting to break the sound barrier using a modified water rocket made from a cylindrical plastic tube. Later analysis proved this to be a difficult, if not impossible undertaking.

The 115 page teacher handbook that accompanies this video series includes a vast amount of support material for each of the three video programs. There are lab sheets, information pages and construction diagrams.

This single book covers it all plus much more material not included on the videos! Schools who purchase one or more of the videos in this program are also given permission to photocopy and use this printed material in their classes or workshops. The book is not sold separately, but is included with all orders of one or more videos.

Introduction:

The Vision 1
Teaching With Rockets 2
Chronological Index/Synopsis - Water Rockets I 4
Chronological Index/Synopsis - Water Rockets II 5
Chronological Index/Synopsis - Water Rockets III 6
Water Rocket Safety Rules 7
Additional Safety Concerns For Teachers 8
Launch Site Safety Officer Check List 10
The Typical Launch 11
About Your Launch Pad 12
Other Suggestions and Tips 13
Using Computer Spreadsheets 14

Sample Lesson Plans 17
Newton's Three Laws 20
Beyond The Naked Bottle (Aerodynamic Accoutrements) 21
Ultimate Volume Of Water - Teacher Notes 23
Ultimate Volume Of Water - Lab Sheet 25
Eggonaut Launch 26
Shortest Time Aloft - Eggonaut 28
Shortest Time Aloft - Data Sheet 29
General Experiment Data Sheet 30
Rocket Research - Maximum Distance 31
Finding Altitude 32
Using Free Fall Formulas 35
Making An Astrolabe 37
Rocket Velocity 38
Rocket Research - How High? How Fast? 39
Student Data Collection Sheet 40
Launching A Basketball 41
Alternative Fuels Research 41
String Guided Air Rockets 43
Experimenting With Nozzles 44
The Slowest Drag Race 45
The Slowest Drag Race Data Sheet 46

Water Rockets II (Title Page) 48

Sample Lesson Plans 49
Using Your Camcorder And VCR 54
Finding Velocity And Acceleration From The Videotape 55
General Spread Sheet 57
Mass Expulsion Analysis 58
Student Data Spreadsheet 63
Rockets To Apogee 64
Finding Altitude With The Trigonometric Solution 66
Distance Contest - What Angle Works Best? 68

Sample Lesson Plans 71
Engineering The Camera Rocket 75
Finding Altitude Using The Law Of Sines 76
The Quest For Mach 1 78
Scaling Concepts 81
Water Phase Ballistics 82
Gas Phase Ballistics 84
Computer/Smart Pulley Interface 85
Projectile Motion Contest 87
Hooke's Law Accelerometer 89
Hooke's Law Part II: Air Carts 91