Curriculum links:

o Solids, liquids and gases have different observable properties

and behave in different ways (ACSSU077)
o Identify, plan and apply the elements of scientific

“Rocket to the Moon”

investigations to answer questions and solve problems using
equipment and materials safely and identifying potential
risks (ACSIS086)
Kate Grierson o Scientific knowledge is used to solve problems and inform
personal and community decisions (ACSHE083)

Introduction: Dear Scientists of Miss Grierson’s class,

My name is Miss Roboto, I am an astronaut sending you this letter from the year 3019. We have
been living on the moon for hundreds of years, but we need to come back down to Earth every
decade to collect more fuel. Unfortunately, over the past thousand years we have taken too
much and now we are running dangerously low and cannot think of any solutions. This is where
you brilliant scientists come in! We need you to create the perfect mixture of baking soda and
vinegar that will be able to get us back to the moon again!

I have enclosed instructions of how to make a model rocket and the ingredients you will need
to run your tests. You need to work in teams because as scientists it helps to collaborate with
others for those brilliant ideas!

Good luck Year 5s, the future of mankind depends on you!

Miss Roboto
Astronaut
378 Starship Lane
The Moon

Brief: With fossil fuels depleted, we need to create an alternative fuel Scan below for
source so we can keep coming back to Earth. We know you are inspiration!
brilliantly smart, so we have chosen you to help us. Your
mission, should you choose to accept it, is to create a rocket
that is able to carry 10 astronauts to the moon by using the
perfect fuel combination of baking soda and vinegar.

Generating Using some of the paper provided, have a go at drawing a rocket you have seen in the past,
Design: labelling all the parts you think helped the rocket blast-off. While you’re doing this, also
think of some PMI (Plus, Minus, Interesting) aspects of the rocket and include those on your
sketch. Now try to draw your own designs with your team, carefully evaluating which
aspects you want to include in your rocket design.

You need to design a model rocket that will be able

to carry 10 astronauts (10 gummy bears) back up
to space and find the perfect fuel combination to
blast us back to the moon (30cm high).
 Project Building your rocket
Specifications: You need to include the basics for your rocket design which are: a plastic bottle, cork, 4 pencils,
tape, cardboard, paper, foil, skewers, paint, and any other materials you think may help your design
look spectacular and achieve the greatest blast-off! You need to create a hold or cabin for the 10
astronauts, but you cannot use glue or sticky tape to hold the astronauts on.

Making your fuel

You will need baking soda, vinegar and paper towels. The baking soda will be wrapped in the paper
towel to form a packet (make sure it’s tight!) and placed in the bottle with the vinegar. The paper
towel acts as a ‘time release’ so you have enough time to put the cork in the top of the bottle, turn
it over and place it down before it blasts off to the moon!

Project Follow these steps to get the best results possible:

Management: 1. Research past rocket designs. 4. Secure your astronauts.
2. Get creative with your design plans. 5. Test your fuel.
3. Use the basic materials first. 6. Repeat, repeat, repeat!

Evaluation: Your rocket needs to be created using the previously mentioned materials, it needs to be
fuelled by baking soda and vinegar, and it needs to carry 10 astronauts. It also needs to
reach the moon, so your model should lift off at least 30cm into the air.

Try to come up with ways of testing how secure your astronauts are and consider how
much baking soda and vinegar you might need. When I evaluate your designs, I will be
looking for a good blast off, secure astronauts, and an impressive rocket design.

Presentation: Miss Grierson will tell you where you will complete the final test and how to place the
baking soda packet into the bottle quickly and successfully. Your rockets should be
complete with all your researched aspects included and your 10 astronauts securely
attached.
Your designs and photographs of you creating your ideal rocket will be documented in your
science journals.

Time: We are running out of time, so we need you to have your

rockets ready for lift off in 5 weeks so we can travel back in
time to you and collect the recipe to take to the future!
Good luck Year 5’s and be careful!