CREATING A BUDGET (LESSON PLAN) - Computer Science

UbD Lesson Plan 

Lesson Title: Newton’s 3 Laws Applied to Rockets Grade Level(s): 9 (Part 2 can be used 

Subject/Topic Area: Physics/Engineering/Technology and expanded for gr. 11/12 Physics) 

Key Words: Rockets, Newton’s Laws 

Designed by: Don Rhine Time frame: Fifteeen 45 min periods 

School District: Tyngsborough School: Tyngsborough High School 

G Established Goals: 

Stage 1 – Identify Desired Results 

Mass. Science & Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (S&T/E): 

• 1.10: Interpret plans, diagrams, and working drawings in the construction of a prototype. 

• 1.4 Interpret and apply Newton’s three laws of motion. 

Q What essential questions will be considered 

W 

• What are Newton’s 3 Laws 

• How do I build a rocket 

• How did the Greeks use their knowledge of angles 

and measures 

U 

What understandings are desired 

Students will understand that... 

• How to apply Newton’s 3 laws to practical 

situations around them and to rockets 

• How do model rockets (and larger rockets) work 

• Model rocket safety 

• When rocket technology was first developed, and 

understand how that fits in on a STEM History 

Timeline 

• How Greeks developed geometric tables 

What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this lesson 

K 

Students will know... 

• Newton’s 3 Laws (atch 6) 

• Terminology: action, reaction, mass, force, inertia, 

apogee, rocket motor, stage, shroud line, motor mount, 

stabilizer fin 

• How to build a model rocket (atch 1 & 2) 

• How to launch a model rocket safely (atch 4) 

• How to collect rocket data and estimate the apogee 

(atch 10) 

S 

Students will be able to... 

• Explain Newton’s 3 laws using their own examples 

(atch 6) 

• Explain why the New York Times made a mistake 

when it criticized Dr. Goddard’s knowledge of 

Newton’s 3 rd law 

• Build a rocket, launch it safely, collect data, and 

estimate apogee (atch 1, 2, 9, 10) 

• Use appropriate resources on the internet to reach 

rocket physics and history 

• The history of rockets including the local history of 

Robert Goddard (on-line) • Develop a tangent trigonometric table (atch 8) 

Stage 2 – Determine Acceptable Evidence 

T 

What evidence will show that students understand 

List of attachments: (see teacher resource page) 

1. Model Rocket Pamphlet (by Boyd Hanks) 6. Remember Newton’s 3 Laws (by Rhine) 

2. Rocket Fabrication Checklist (by Rhine) 7. STEM Timeline Template (by Rhine) 

3. Rocket Data & Observation Page (by Rhine) 8. Similar Triangle Construction (by Rhine) 

4. Model Rocketry Safety Code (by Rhine) 9. Measuring Rocket Apogee (by Rhine) 

5. Model Rocket Fab & Launch Quiz (by Rhine) 10. Rocket Launch Sheets (by Rhine)

Performance Tasks: 

• Reading Comprehension: Read instructions for fabricating rockets (atch 1) , safety, and historical references 

• Fabricate a model rocket in teams of two – see grading rubric (atch 2) 

• Writing: 

• Take notes on key portion of assigned reading (assign grade) 

• Summarize rocket safety 

• Notes from Goddard and Newton research 

• Discussion: Examples of Newton’s Laws to develop understanding and relate to student examples and rocket 

examples. Discuss misconceptions related to Newton’s Laws including… 

o the New York Times invalid criticism of Goddard (Newton’s 3 rd Law) 

o Historical and present-day misconceptions related to inertia, medieval impetus concept, and 

motion 

• Launch rocket safely, collect data, and analyze results 

OE 

What other evidence needs to be collected in light of the desired results 

Other Evidence: 

• Quiz – Rocket structure and function (atch 5) 

• Worksheet – Newton’s Laws (atch 6) 

• Template – STEM Timeline 

SA Student Self-Assessment and Reflection: 

• Write a brief summary of the article/paper and discuss how the engineering design cycle was used by the 

engineers in the article/video. 

• See steps 6 & 10 in Stage 3. 







Stage 3 – Plan Learning Experiences 

L 

WHERETO 

What sequence of teaching and learning experiences will equip students to engage with, develop, and demonstrate the desired 

understandings List key teaching and learning activities in sequence. 

Links to teacher resource page and student web site 

Part 1: Introduce Rocket Topic (first 1/2 of Period 1) 

1. Materials needed: 

a. Launch stand loaded with four rockets (visual demo) 

b. Internet video – Goddard Bio (links on Rhine Rocket Website) 

c. Student three-ring binders with attachments printed (students can assemble) 

2. Show students launch stand with loaded rockets and describe plan for next two weeks (fab rockets, 

understand rocket safety and function of rocket components, how one might measure the apogee, and in 

introduction to the history of rockets and related physics (Goddard, Newton) 

Part 2: Fabricate Rockets (5 ½ periods) 

1. Materials needed: (set up kits in project boxes for students beforehand) 

a. Rocket kits (from Pitsco Education, $4 each, can share 2-3 students per kit). Pre-fab fins and cut 

piece gum tape and length of shroud line. 

b. Project Box 

c. Other materials tools & materials listed in Atch 2. 

d. Archs 1, 2, 3, 4 will be used 

e. Sample A, B, C, and D unused and used ocket motors (with digital scales and calipers to measure) 

(Atch 3) 

f. Newton’s Law Worksheet (Atch 6) 

2. Second ½ of Period 1 - Have students inventory kits (using Atch 2) and read through first five pages of 

pamphlet (Atch 1) and take notes. Tell students notes can be used on upcoming quiz! 

3. Successive periods: Tell students to divide tasks and work in parallel! Students will use atch 2 fab 

checklist to guide work. As students complete the tasks, they can bring to the instructor to inspect and 

receive a grade (use Atch 2). 

g. Period 2: Fab airframe and in parallel fab motor mount and parachute. Mount (glue) first fine to 

airframe and lightly fold with masking tape. Set aside to dry. 

h. Period 3: Finish parachute and mount shock cord. In parallel, mount second fin & glue motor 

mount into airframe. Set aside to dry. 

i. Period 4: Finish parachute and shock cord assembly. Hand out A size rocket engine and have 

student insert and pack rest of rocket for first launch. Mount third fin & glue motor mount into 

airframe. Set aside to dry. 

j. Period 5. Give and overview of how to pack rockets properly. Show students different size rocket 

engines and ask them to read safety code and rocket engine info handout, then answer questions in 

Atch 3. 

k. Period 6 – catch-up period – students can decorate rockets and use computers to start Newton’s 

law homework (Atch 6). Can give quick quiz on rockets (Atch 5) 







Part 3: Discussion of Newton’s Laws and Rocket History (4 Periods) 

3. Period 1: Historical Context Discussion. 

a. Materials Needed: Slide presentation related to STEM Historical figures 

i. Briefly review “standard wording” of Newton’s 3 Laws 

ii. Begin with an overview of Newton’s place in history and discuss the relative importance 

of his work and relate to his predecessors such as Archimedes, the large time gap 

between Archimedes and Galileo, Galileo, Newton. 1 Discuss the development of these 

fundamental ideas and how the historical figures tried to describe the physical world 

based on their preconceived notions and their use of scientific method (or lack of it). 2 

iii. Discuss STEM Timeline project (set deadline of 2 – 3 weeks) – use this to have students 

explore other key figures in STEM history. 

4. Period 2: Newton’s 3 Laws fun class demos 

a. Materials needed: Atch 6, fun demonstration apparatus for Newton’s 3 Laws (hoverboards, etc.). 

The hoverboard is a 4 foot diameter circular hoverboard powered by a leaf blower. One or more 

students can sit on hoverboard and other students can push. 

b. Give an example of each law using a demo to show students (hoverboard can be used for all three 

demos). 

i. 1 st law – hoverboard moving at constant velocity contrasted with box or chair sliding to a 

stop when pushed and let go 

ii. 2 nd law – can add 1, 2, 3 students to hoverboard and demonstrate amount of force 

required to start them moving or stop them increases. Can pull with spring scale at 

“constant force” and show how rate of acceleration is lower with more students on 

hoverboard. Works best using 2 hoverboards side-by-side. 

iii. 3 rd law – Action-reaction pairs—using large spring scales (or bathroom scales), demo 

how as teacher pulls (pushes), student experience same pulling force in opposite direction 

(can do either to start students moving or slow students down). This is a good time to 

discuss the misconception that a lager object exerts a larger force on a smaller object. 

c. Come up with 3 more examples using student ideas and draw on board, discuss and make sure 

concept is clear. 

d. Assign HW from Atch 6: students come up with three new examples for next day cannot use class 

examples or rockets). 

5. Period 3: Newton’s 3 Laws: Rocket Applications & Goddard Historical Example of Newton’s 3 rd Law 

Dispute with the New York Times 

a. Materials needed: Atch 6, on-line Rocket Launch video, balloons. 

b. Start by showing Goddard 5-min video (link on Rhine web site). 

c. Next step through each of 3 laws and have students relate to rockets, then discuss their answers as 

a class. Can contrast small vs. large rockets, rockets on earth vs. in space (effects gravity vs. no 

gravity, air vs. no air). Hold off on balloon demo!! 

d. One key misconception to look for is Newton’s 3 rd law. Some students will probably think that 

the rocket’s engine exhaust push on the ground, and the ground pushes back on the rocket. At this 

point can discuss famous Goddard vs. NYT dispute (see links on line). Show balloon demo after 

1 Toulmin, S. and Goodfield, J. (1962) The premature synthesis (Chap. 3); The creation of mechanics (Chap. 8). In 

The fabric of heavens: the development of astronomy and dynamics. (pp. 90 – 105; 210 - 227). New York: Harper & 

Row. 

2 McCloskey, M. (1983). Intuitive Physics. Sci. Am., 248 (4), 122-130. 

3 Excerpts from New York Times editorial criticizing Dr. Goddard (M. Gruntman, Blazing the Trail, page 117, 

AIAA, 2004). 







discussion NYT mistake. 

e. Hw: assign reading related to Goddard dispute with NYT. 3 Ask students to find when NYT 

finally admitted their mistake (another historical date). 4 

6. Period 4: Finish up discussion of Newton’s Laws and give a quick quiz on Newton’s 3 Laws. 

Part 4: How to measure rocket’s Apogee (2 Periods) - Mathematics/Geometry Content 

Detailed instructions for teacher to be completed later. See finished handouts (Atchs 8 & 9)( fairly selfexplanatory). 

Part 5: Rocket Launch and Data Collection (2 Periods) 

Detailed instructions for teacher to be completed later. See finished handouts (Atchs 10) (fairly selfexplanatory) 

4 A description of Goddard's reactions to the New York Times Editorial (from Clark University's on-line Archives & 

Special Collections)

CREATING A BUDGET (LESSON PLAN) - Computer Science

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