Summer at DreamSpark Academy means hands-on excitement, curiosity-driven challenges, and STEM that soars! In our latest Summer of STEM activity, students launched their very own rockets using film canisters, effervescent tablets, and water. The thrill of countdowns, liftoff, and splash‑landings made for a truly memorable afternoon.
Safety First!
Rocket science is thrilling, but safety comes first. Here’s how we stayed secure:
- Safety goggles for all students and staff to protect against accidental sprays.
- Teachers carefully supervised every step, especially the handling and sealing of canisters.
- The extra teacher monitored the grand launch to keep things orderly and fun.
- We launched outdoors in an open area near the playground, keeping a safe distance between rockets and spectators.
What We Did
We organized the experiment in two phases:
Phase 1: Individual Launches
Each student assembled their own rocket, combining a film canister, a tablet of Alka‑Seltzer on top of a 3D printed guard (to keep in from getting wet too early), and a small amount of water. Sealing the canister tightly, they placed it in our launch tube and backed away quickly. As the baking soda reaction created gas pressure inside, the lid popped off, sending the canister soaring! Students measured how far each rocket traveled and cheered every launch.
Well, most of the launches. We had a few that did not go very far at all, causing us to have to question what might have made them less effective. Based on what we learned that day, we made some changes for the second phase.
Phase 2: The Grand 40-Rocket Launch
In the epic finale, we launched 40 rockets simultaneously. We accomplished this by gluing the tops of the canisters to a long board and attaching the rockets carefully from underneath. This was a multiple-person job, so we had several of the older students from the schoolers group join in the building process.
One of the ideas the kids had during Phase 1 was that possibly the sweat from our hands was activating the tablets too early, making the rockets weaker at launch. We decided to have the assembly team of 3 school age students wear nitrile gloves to prevent sweat from accidentally activating the tablets during handling, helping ensure more canisters launched farther and more consistently.
What We Learned
During Phase 1, students explored chemical reactions, gas expansion, and force in action. They measured and compared distances, hypothesizing why some rockets soared farther than others; perhaps due to tablet size, water amount, canister tightness, or surface conditions.
By Phase 2, the impact of consistent handling became clear: by wearing nitrile gloves, we reduced unintended activation from hand sweat, leading to more successful, synchronized launches.
We also learned that ensuring the rockets were tightly sealed was very important. Some of the rockets leaked water at the beginning of the launch, and we suspect that they might have launched further without the leaks. Maybe we can test that theory in the future?
STEM in Action
Students were encouraged to think like scientists and engineers throughout the activity:
- Observe how varying tablet amounts, water volumes, or canister sealing affected rocket flight.
- Predict which combinations might launch higher or farther.
- Test multiple versions and record distances.
- Collaborate in the group launch, using tools (like gloves) to control experimental variables.
- Reflect on how even human skin oils and moisture can influence scientific outcomes.
Every moment encouraged curiosity, teamwork, and critical thinking, core to DreamSpark’s approach to STEM learning.
Why We Love It
The Film Canister Rocket activity is more than just fun. It’s a launchpad for real scientific exploration using everyday items. The dual structure of individual work followed by a mass launch introduced engineering challenges, data collection, problem-solving, and excitement all in one memorable experiment.
It shows how science can soar off the page and into the sky, especially when kids are given the tools, guidance, and space to experiment.