Moon Exploration

Pre-Service Teachers
STEM Lesson
Spring 2009
6th Grade Lesson
 Introduction
In this lesson, students will be able to stimulate the four STEM topics
and gain knowledge through each extended activity along with NASA
owned projects. In these activities, students are to generalize how the
activities all relate to the topic of the planned lesson. They will use a
hands-on experience to simulate a paper rocket prototype that
engineers follow in their preparation for moon exploration. Their
activities consist of building the rocket that is shown through
engineering, propulsion applied through a lesson of science.
Technology will consist of being able to describe how the
communication works through satellites. The mathematics lesson will
focused on measurements using units. They will also spend time
looking at the tools and materials they will use to make an exploration
successful and safe.
 Materials
Heavy paper (60-110 index stock or construction paper)
Plastic 35 mm film canisters
Student sheets
Cellophane tape
Scissors
Effervescing antacid tablet
Paper towels
Water
Eye protection
Writing Paper
Average sized balloons
Colored markers
Dry erase board
Ruler
Tape
 Objectives
Students will be able to:
 Explain what propulsion is and how it is applied through
Isaac Newton’s third law of motion.
 Explain how a nano rover communicates through satellite
connections.
 Build a rocket, understanding how it is built and how each
part plays an individual role in making sure everything is
correct for take off.
 Convert measurements through units and create a solar
scale of distance from the Earth to the moon.
 Recite how many inches are in a foot, how many feet are in
a yard, and how many yards are in a mile.
 Application of Engineering
 Short Lecture for Engineering
– Wrap and tape a tube of paper around the film canister. (Paper should be wide
enough to circle around the canister) The lid end of the canister goes down!
– Tape fins to your rocket. (prefer trapezoid shapes)
– Roll a cone of paper and tape it to the rocket's upper end.
– Ready for flight
– COUNTDOWN
– Put on your eye protection.
– Turn the rocket upside down and fill the canister one-third full of water.
Work quickly on the next steps!
– Drop in 1/2 tablet.
– Snap lid on tight.
– Stand rocket on launch platform.
Steps of Process for Engineering Lesson
Step 1 Step 3
<<<<< <<<<<

Step 4
>>>>>
After this
step,
Step 2 sit it flat for
take off…..
<<<<<<
 Application of Science
 Guided Instruction for Science:

As a group, the students will discuss the understanding of

the definition and each captain will report their collaborative
thoughts to the teacher. From the students’ understanding,
the teacher will explain Newton’s Third Law of Motion.
Then, the teacher will explain how Newton’s Third Law of
motion relates to propulsion.
Steps of Process for Science Lesson

Step 1
<<<<<

Step 2
<<<<<

Step 3
<<<<<<
Release It!!
 Application of Mathematics
 Guided Instruction for Mathematics:

Teacher will explain the process of converting larger units

of measurement to smaller units of measurements. From
teacher’s instruction, students are to develop their own
scale to measure the distance from the Earth to the Moon
Steps of Process for Math Lesson
Step 1
<<<<<

Step 3
>>>>>

Step 2
<<<<<
 Application of Technology
 Guided Instruction for Technology:

Students will learn about what a nano rover is through a

short lecture. After that, the students will be slit up into
teams of two or more and one student will get a chance to
look at some objects. After ten seconds, the student will go
back to his/her team members and describe what he/she
has seen through communicating. This activity will be a
real life representation of how the nano rover to engineers
and technicians on Earth.