Rockets to the Moon & Beyond

In March the Rolling Reader and several other branches will have activities sponsored by the “Rockets to the Moon and Beyond” grant. Children will be able to experiment with manmade regolith, or moon soil. This manmade soil is used here on earth so that scientists/astronauts can practice for when we go back to the moon in possibly 2020. Moon soil is different than anything that can be found on earth
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is scheduled to go to the moon next year and it will be looking for the best place to establish a permanent moon base. Astronomers believe that there might be frozen ice which could supply water and oxygen for the base in the polar regions

PROJECTS TO DO AT HOME

ALKA SELTZER ROCKETS (Parental supervision is recommended)

Materials
Film canister with snap on lid (35mm)
Double roll size toilet paper roll
Construction paper
Scissors
Tape
Markers or crayons
Stickers, optional
Alka-Seltzer tablets (generic works fine)
Water in a container
Eye protection (glasses)

Procedures
1. Cut straight up the side of the toilet paper roll. Insert the film canister at one end, making sure the end with the lid sticks out about 1/8". Tape along one edge of the toilet paper roll onto the film canister. Roll the toilet paper roll around the canister and tape tightly into place.
2. Cut a circle out of construction paper, cutting a pie shaped wedge out of the circle. You can experiment with different sizes of circles to see if it makes a difference in how the rocket reacts upon launch.
3. Roll the paper into a cone shape and tape onto the other end of the toilet paper tube. Cut 4 squares out of construction paper to make fins if you wish. Tape on to lower sides of rocket.
4. Decorate your rocket with markers, stickers, or crayons.
5. Now, time to go outside! Put on your eye protection!
Turn the rocket upside down, remove the lid from the canister, and fill 1/4 full with water. Drop in tablet and immediately replace lid and set on ground. Back up!
6. Experiment with using one or two tablets into the canister to see if it will shoot up higher. Be sure to look for the tablets after the rocket fires, to see if you are able to reuse them. Be sure to rinse off your driveway or sidewalk after finishing with your rockets.

THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MOON

See the moon low on the horizon at sunset---it’s huge! But when it rises in the sky it looks so much smaller. Is the moon shrinking?
No it’s an optical illusion. You see the moon rising behind things on earth, like trees and buildings, between you and the horizon at sunset. You know that the moon is much bigger that these things. As the moon rises in the nights sky your eyes don’t have those objects with which to compare it and it seems smaller in all the empty sky. Hold your arm straight out in front of you when the moon is close to the horizon. Cover the moon with your pinkie. Do this again when the moon is high in the sky. See? Same size.

FIND THE NORTH STAR

Look for the Big Dipper, a group of 7 stars shaped like a ladle with a crooked handle. The 2 stars at the front pf the ladle are pointer stars. Draw an imaginary line starting at the bottom of the ladle through the pointer stars to the North Star, Polaris.

Your Resource Countdown

10. http://www.nasa.gov Under “student” prompt you can find a great variety of activities to do online.
9. http://www.windows.ucar.edu/ This site includes planets and their mythology, surveys of planets and the universe, and much more!
8 . All About The Moon by Wes Lipschultz ( J 523.3 L)
Easy to read book that provides interesting facts and great photographs of the moon. Discusses how the moon was formed, its phases, and the landing on it by NASA astronauts in 1969.
7. Ten World: Everything That Orbits the Sun by Ken Crosswell
(J 523.4 C) Crosswell , an astronomer as well as a writer, takes readers on a journey through the solar system using full color photographs of planets, moons and the sun. Tells how the planets were named and their physical characteristics, temperature and atmospheric makeup
6. Starry Sky by Kate Hayden (J 523.8 H)
With stunning photographs this book describes the arrangement of stars and constellations. It gives fun starry facts like explaining how celestial movement helps people navigate the oceans at night. This is a great beginning to read alone book.
5. Ultimate Field Trip 5: Blasting Off to Space Academy by Susan Goodman (J 629.4507 G)
This exciting book describes the U.S. Space Academy in Alabama where kids are able to experience zero gravity, learn how to build rockets, and participate in a simulated space mission.
4. Team Moon: How 400,000 people landed Apollo 11 on the Moon by Catherine Thimmesh ( J 629.454 T) A look at behind the scenes at the Kennedy Space Center where many workers put a man on the moon. From the seamstress that made the space suit to the 14,000 people who built the command module, this book is a stirring tribute to the many who had an exceptional level of dedication to the space program but are sometimes overlooked.
3. http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/ Click on “Animations” for “Space Place Live” to see interviews of NASA scientists and engineers! Under “Projects” you can find directions to make Pop Rockets and Super Sound Cones.
2. http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/StarChild.html This site gives both Elementary (level 1) or Middle school (level 2) activities and glossary. Search for “Space Wardrobe” to see what astronauts wear in space. Many of the pages offer audio so the text can be read out loud.
1. BLASTOFF!! For more information about the moon and space travel, visit your local Harford County Public Library Branch!