Sixth grade science students took to Frank Field this week for the first test flights of rockets they built out of empty water bottles, plastic nose cones, tape, and other materials. This beloved annual science project is the culmination of weeks of engineering work in Lower School Science Teacher Liz Kim’s class, where students have been learning about physics principles and the iterative design process.

“Through the process of testing variables, designing solutions, and meeting challenges, students explore key rocket design concepts: center of drag, center of mass, Newton’s third law of motion, and forces involved in flight,” explained Kim.

In a new addition to the project this year, students received an introduction to Adobe Illustrator, which they used to design their rocket’s fins. The fins were then laser-cut out of balsa wood in the STEAMWork Design Studio.

This week, students set quantitative (such as the timed duration of the rocket’s flight) and qualitative (such as whether the parachute deploys) goals for their rockets in class together. Once on the field for the test launch, they used handheld altimeters to determine the maximum altitude of their rocket’s flight.

The test flight is critical to the design process, Kim said, as it teaches students that engineering failures during design and testing are just steps along the way to success.

Students noted their post-flight observations and will continue to make design changes in the STEAMWork Design Studio until winter break. In January, marking the return of a pre-pandemic tradition, parents will be invited to witness the class’s culminating rocket launch day on campus once the students have finalized their designs. Stay tuned for more details and click here to see more photos from the test!