Outreach Activity Suggestions
From SEDSWiki
Here's a few pre-planned activities for any upcoming outreach events. Some are good for presentations, while others are good for booths with other organizations. Some are good for inside, others for outside. Please add activities you have done are thought of to this list.
Most of these activities are appealing for all ages, whether theyre elementary age, high schoolers, or college students. The key to keeping it relevant is the level of the discussion accompanying it.
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Rocket Demonstrations
Skateboard Rocket
You can use a skateboard to demonstrate the basic principles of a rocket. This teacher [1] describes having two students stand on the skateboard, one as the payload and one as the propellant, and having the propellant jump off. However, I had some trouble with two students and ended up just using one student as the 'propellant' and let the skateboard itself be the payload.
Discuss what you can do to make the vehicle faster. Having the student jump off faster, using a bigger person, or mkaing the skateboard lighter will do so. This is a great introduction to the basics of rocketry. Also discuss the definitions of payload and propellant. Transition to other demonstrations by discussing what would make a better propellant than children. You can also try using a water gun as propellant.
Warning: When you mention that a bigger person will make it go faster, they will ask the presenter to do it. I'm clumsy and hurt my hand doing so, so anyone considering this should probably either practice or explain that they're a lot better at it than you are.
Air-powered Rockets
In this demonstration, use a sequence of devices to show how you improve stability and performance.
1. Balloons
Start by asking the kids if theyve ever made a rocket, and show them that they have, whenever they blow up a balloon and let it go. Obviously it's unstable and going to go everywhere. I like to make a big show of aiming at one of the kids with the balloon. Ask for ideas about how you could make it go straight. If they don't think of fins, show them the second demonstration and ask about the difference.
2. Straw Rockets
To show how the fins make it go straight, build a couple of rockets by taping some fins and a nosecone to a straw, and fitting it over a smaller stirrer straw, and blowing into it. The furthest these will go is about 12 feet. If you're so inspired you can build bigger rockets with bigger straws and use something more than your own blowing. Discuss the purpose of the fins for stability and the nosecone to decrease drag and make sure the air goes out.
If this is a short presentation you may want to bring a few extra smaller straws to let the kids try it out. For a longer activity you may actually have the students build some.
3. Pump-air rockets
There are some commercial toys (for instance from Air-hogs) that run for ~$30 that are a good demonstration of improving the range and power by using more air, and using it at a higher pressure, so that you have more propellant moving faster. It also goes really fast and really high (150 feet) or hits the ceiling, and impresses the kids. Change the number of pumps to change the pressure and amount of air.
Discuss how this increases the height and whether or not this can be used to get to space. This is a good gateway to discuss chemical rockets. Obviously this part is rather expensive, and the first two can be very effective on their own.
Straw Rocket Competition
This is shamelessly borrowed from the same teacher [2], but is a great idea. Have straws, paper, tape and scissors available for the students to build rockets around a straw and have a launcher already sized to the straw size. Launch the students creations and record them for distance or height or even accuracy.
Alka-seltzer Rockets
Pretty simple demonstration most of us will remember from childhood. Put some alka-seltzer and water into a film cannister, and set it down cap down so that the pressure builds up and it's propelled upward. Putting some fins, a body tube and nose-cone can make it more fun. Height for these can be 10 feet or more.
Candy Rocket Fuel
Unflavored candy makes a pretty good rocket fuel, and kids love candy. A tray of candy with an explanation will attract visitors, particularly for a static booth.
Jump Rocket
Foam rockets launched by jumping on a foot pump. Can buy a complete kit for approx. $15 at the following site: http://shopping.redorbit.com/catalog/Jump-Rocket-p-16215.html Some ideas how to use: Control force applied such that a desired altitude is attained (closest to the ceiling if inside) Find materials to design/build kids own rockets can take home Design some type of recovery system (parachute, etc...) Contests (i.e. longest flight time, closest to some target)
Water Rockets
Can make your own or buy from various places. The following site has a range of water rockets: http://www.antigravityresearch.com
Astronomy Demonstrations
Basketball/Tennis Ball Size Demonstration
If you were at the 2005 national conference, you saw this demonstration. The size ratio between the Earth and the moon is very similar to the ration of a basketball to a tennis ball. In this scale, the distance between the two is 7.2 m, or 9.5 times the circumference of the basketball. Details on the math can be found here.
This is an excellent demonstration of the scale of space. You might consider to convert some other objects into the same scale just for further enlightenment.
Orbital Mechanics
Find something that spins (a bar stool or something) and have the kid sit on it and hold something to move in and out while they spin. This should speed up or slow down the overall rotational speed (to conserve angular momentum.) Use this to show that the closer something is the faster it moves around its star.
(Untested) Another activity which hasn't been proven yet is to have the children grasp hands (gravity) and start to spin slowly. They should spin around a point between them, like a binary system. If you do the same thing with the speaker and a student, where theres a significant size distance,the kid should spin around the adult, like a planet. Of course, this needs to be checked out to make sure it works and is safe.
Video Clips
Play various animations detailing astronomical events, rocket launches, space probes. Helps students visualize complex ideas. Need some kind of media player (DVD player or Laptop)
