Rocketry in Junior High

If we're going to make more rocket scientists, it stands to reason that we need more kids playing with rockets. That's the thinking behind the model rocketry elective program at Millville junior high school in Redding, California. One of the school's teachers, William Hutt, suggested teaching the class this year. Open to seventh and eighth graders, the class is a challenging mix of conceptual physics and aerodynamics. Once past the first twelve weeks, students get to build relatively simple Estes model rockets. These models are then flown in a launch event that draws the whole school outside.

Launch procedures are borrowed from the army and from NASA. Students man science, meteorological, engineering, communications, and security stations, and all have to give a "go/no go" to the range master for a launch. The professionalism inherent in the breakdown of tasks is impressive, especially when you consider that the range is staffed by 12- and 13-year-olds. Also impressive is the amount of theory and training that goes int the launches. The curriculum is modeled after a graduate program, and the students have to digest it before getting to shoot their rockets.

Something that I found awfully impressive from the article was the fact that the first student interview in the story comes from a girl. As a father of three girls, I sincerely hope that math, science, and engineering will be of interest to them. I realize that it may not be their cup of tea, but I do not want negative pressure from their peers to sour their view of the sciences.

Our family is coming soon to a decision point. I will probably go to grad school somewhere other than Texas. This means that we'll have to send the Pikl and SWWNO to different schools. I'd love to start a rocketry club for my kids at their current school, but would it be worth the effort to get it going just to leave? I'll have to ponder that.

In the meantime, know that I love my new laptop and that I'm getting back on track with the blogging next week.

Cheers,

-- Zach