Balloon Rocket Derby

The goal of this ETP is to introduce and practice the engineering design process in a fun and high interest manner: by designing a balloon “rocket” that uses a straw and various types of string to travel a distance in the fastest possible time. Students will work in pairs or trios to test different types of strings, different sized balloons, and varying amounts of air in the balloons to figure out which is most effective. They will test and collect data on different models and redesign as necessary. They will also be connecting these designs to 4th grade Physical Sciences NGSS standards about the relation of speed to energy, as well as how energy is conserved and/or transferred