Ever wanted to learn more about airplanes, rockets and how flight works? Then aerospace projects are for you! Learn about the science behind flight through hands on activities.
Objectives
Youth will:
- Develop skills and knowledge in the areas of aviation space, kites, hot air balloons, weather, and aerospace careers
- Connect youth with aerospace educational resources and opportunities
- Explore current issues related to aerospace
4-H Aerospace Curriculum
Available from the Extension office or online.
In Level 1 of Aerospace Adventures, youth build a marshmallow rocket, learn about different careers in aviation and space, and explore how an airplane works. 4 activities total.
In Level 2 of Aerospace Adventures, youth build a straw rocket, learn about weather conditions, make a paper hot air balloon, and learn the International Phonetic Alphabet. 13 activities total.
In Level 3 of Aerospace Adventures, youth make a shuttle on a string, a Japanese kite, a hang glider, and learn about a control panel of an aircraft. 12 activities total.
In Level 4 of Aerospace Adventures, youth create an altitude tracker, determine fuel efficiency for a commercial aircraft, explore pilot certification, evaluate navigation systems, and learn about airport issues. 12 activities total.
Aerospace Adventures Helper’s Guide
Guide to accompany the Aerospace Adventures curriculum. Answers the questions in the activity guides as well as provides facilitators with discussion points and questions for youth.
Washington 4-H Records, Forms, and Guides
For youth members
C0994E – Certificate of Flight
A form used to record the launch of a model rocket. Verifies that the rocket on display at a fair is the same rocket that was successfully launched.
For adult helpers and club leaders
Coming soon!
Helpful Links
Activity Ideas
Activity lesson plan for teaching youth how to make and test fly a paper helicopter. This is a part of the Aerospace series. This lesson is designed for youth grades 3-5.
Activity lesson plan for teaching youth how to construct and test fly a drinking straw rocket. This is a part of the Aerospace series.
Rippin’ Rockets – Wisconsin 4-H
Activity lesson plan for teaching youth how to build a drinking straw and balloon rocket.
From Nose to Tail – Wisconsin 4-H
Activity lesson plan for teaching youth how to identify the functions of the basic parts of an airplane.
Advanced HIgh-Powered Paper Rockets – Texas 4-H (PDF)
Design and construct advanced high-power paper rockets for specific flight missions.
Students will learn about rocket stability and trajectory with rubber band-powered foam rockets.
Project X-51 – Texas 4-H (PDF)
To apply rocket principles and design, construct, test, and launch a water rocket using a real-world problem-solving simulation.
The Franklin Institute–Franklin@Home: Space
Welcome to your virtual classroom for Space! Physicist William Bragg once said, “Light brings us the news of the universe.” How does light work? What does it tell us about space? How do we explore our solar system—and beyond—from here on Earth?
Washington Specific Reference Material
Aerospace Curriculum and EALRs (PDF)
Outlines which EALRs are met by the 4-H National Curriculum.
Yakima County 4-H Astronomy Project
Other Reference Material
From 4-H Programs
National Association of Rocketry 4-H Partnership
Junior Aerospace – University of Minnesota Extension
This series of six lessons is a compilation of original work and educational resources from the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the National Headquarters Civil Air Patrol, Utah 4-H and the SciTech Institute. It is designed for youth in grades K-8 to explore aerospace through hands-on and interactive activities. Youth will spend time designing and learning about gliders, helicopters, hovercrafts and rockets.
The lessons can be delivered stand-alone at a club meeting, after-school workshop, or camp setting, or be utilized in their entirety through a project club. Guided through reflection practices in the youth flight log, participants will achieve certifications as they complete challenges within each of the lessons.
From Higher Education Institutions
From Related Organizations, Journals, and Professionals
How to become an Aerospace Engineer
Are you interested in airplanes? Do you like to build things? How about a career designing, building, and testing aircraft? Imagine creating the next commercial airliner, designed for carrying hundreds of passengers. Or working on the fastest, stealthiest military plane. These are two projects an aerospace engineer might work on.
Model Rocket Safety Code – National Association of Rocketry
The American Rocketry Challenge is the world’s largest rocket contest with nearly 5,000 students nationwide competing each year. The contest gives middle and high school students the opportunity to design, build and launch model rockets and hands-on experience solving engineering problems.
Astronomy Picture of the Day – NASA
NASA provides a safe place for children to play games as they learn about NASA and its missions. NASA encourages you to visit NASA Kids’ Club and use its games and activities to inspire the next generation. On this site, you will find games of various skill levels for children pre-K through grade 4. These games support national education standards in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Few classroom topics generate as much excitement as rockets. The scientific, technological, engineering and mathematical foundations of rocketry provide exciting classroom opportunities for authentic hands-on, minds-on experimentation. The activities and lesson plans contained in this educator guide emphasize hands-on science, prediction, data collection and interpretation, teamwork, and problem solving. The guide also contains background information about the history of rockets and basic rocket science. The rocket activities in this guide support national curriculum standards for science, mathematics and technology.
- Ohio 4-H Rocketry Curriculum
Rockets Away!: A Fun Approach to Exploring the Science of Rocketry
Study the science of rocketry through a variety of hands-on experiments for all ages. Members conclude this project by building and launching 2-liter bottle water rockets
Rockets Away!: A Fun Approach to Exploring the Science of Rocketry
Study the science of rocketry through a variety of hands-on experiments for all ages. Members conclude this project by building and launching a solid-fuel model rocket.
Designing Your Own Model Rocket (PDF)
This publication is a continuation of the lessons in the previous publication, Rockets Away!: A Fun Approach to Exploring the Science of Rocketry (Solid Fuel Model Rockets).
Recommended for teachers and other group leaders, this popular favorite is now up-to-date and more effective than ever at teaching the concepts of forces and motion via rocketry.
These ten lessons, described in detail in the Rockets Away! Teacher Guide, are a student’s gateway to the practical knowledge behind Newton’s Laws of Motion. Available in sets of 25 as well.
- Kits, Projects, and Activities from National 4-H
National 4-H Aviation and Space Exploration Curriculum Collection
Galactic Quest 4-H STEM Challenge
The 2021 Challenge theme of space exploration takes youth on an out-of-this world adventure and makes connections to the 4-H pillars—STEM, civic engagement, healthy living, and agriculture. The challenge activities allow youth to develop inquiry, observational, and problem-solving skills while they make discoveries and develop their STEM identities.
Galactic Quest is ideal for youth ages 8 to 14 years to spark an interest in STEM and inspire real-world actions. For families wanting to engage with the activities right away or youth working on their own, the Youth Guide can be used as a Quick Start Guide to the challenge.
Galactic Quest Astro Quest Board Game
In this board game, youth will attempt to expand their influence on our solar system by collecting resources and adding spacecraft to their fleet. They will learn about the resources needed for space exploration and where they could be found. In addition, youth will explore the implications of space travel on human health in this interplanetary adventure.
Galactic Quest Cosmic Claw Kit
Purchase extra cosmic claw kits to use with your Galactic Quest STEM Challenge kit or to use as a stand alone activity. In this activity, youth will use the Engineering Design Process to design, build, and operate a robotic claw. Working together, the group will create a model of a hydraulic-powered robotic arm and claw and test it by completing an agricultural task. Ultimately, the mechanical claw should be able to perform a simple grasping, scooping, or raking action to cultivate crops on another world.
Galactic Quest Constellation Card Set
This is a set of 10 Constellation Cards that can be used with the telescope from the Galactic Quest STEM Challenge kit. Purchasing extra card sets allows you to have more youth participate at the same time.
Galactic Quest Cipher Space Activity
This activity introduces concepts of cybersecurity and protecting our assets in space. Youth will use a Caesar cipher wheel to decode a secret message, encrypt and decipher words with their peers, and participate in a group relay race. They will learn about careers in cybersecurity, technology, and space. This activity builds the computational thinking skill of pattern recognition as youth search for patterns to find a solution to the encryption challenges.
This Inflatable Space Shuttle is out of this world! A 17-inch replica of a space shuttle is a great visual to learn about where astronauts live and conduct experiments while in outer space. This inflatable model is made from pool-safe vinyl, and is sure to enhance the experience of our Marshmallow Rocket Cloverbud Activity, and Aerospace Adventures curriculum series.
Youth will use engineering skills to build a vehicle that can explore the surface of Mars, while participating in the Mars Base Camp Red Planet Odyssey unplugged activity. Each rover comes with assembly instructions and screwdriver.
Simple and easy to construct, the Soda Bottle Launcher will be used to launch a rocket and aim to hit the target. Like a balloon, air pressurizes the bottle rocket. When stomped or jumped on, air escapes the bottle, providing the energy needed to propel the rocket.