Mr. Smith’s Rocket Project
By Lizzy Petersen
Photo of Mr. Smith’s students and their rockets taken by Lizzy Petersen
Over the past 10 years at Owasso High School, the AP Physics teacher, Mr. Smith, has encouraged his students to compete against each other in a highly anticipated project: rocket launching. The students are provided various materials to create intricate, extravagant, aerodynamic rockets. Full artistic creativity is allowed. The projectiles do not have to look like a stereotypical rocket as long as the designs are school appropriate.
This is a fun and relaxing break from the hectic year of preparing for Advanced Placement testing. Students get to express creativity and witness their classmates' creations fly the length of the football field.
Mr. Smith’s favorite part of the project is “seeing everyone compete, and try to better one another, whether they try to win the viewer’s choice or distance.”
It is great to have teachers so invested in making their students' academic careers more enjoyable. Mr. Smith even explained how far he has come to get this project where it is now. When he first began, his process was to make the rockets with model rocket engines. But after he had a class that “nearly set a farmer’s field on fire,” he found a way to make the project safer. He built an air cannon which ended up being a much better alternative. As a result, students could be more creative with their designs and launch their rockets multiple times.
Many students were nervous about volunteering to take their turn when the rockets were launched this year. It took many times for Smith to ask for someone to be next, but as soon as they saw some of the rockets fail, they felt more confident volunteering.
Some students were even building their courage by whispering to one another, “I’ll go if you go.”
Seeing the rockets nose-dive into the ground, explode and go barely 10 yards from the launch site was almost better than seeing the few that flew over half of the football field. However, the competition among the friends in the class was the most exciting part. They would launch multiple times, trying to get farther distances and argue about whose was “actually” better.
Everyone was excited to show off their rockets and see how far they would launch. Many students were very creative with their rocket designs and clever names. The students enjoyed participating in an exciting project without their grades being at stake.
As one of Mr. Smith’s students, James Barrett, stated, ”The chance to build rockets in physics was a great experience! It was a fantastic change in pace from our regular activities.”
Mr. Smith exemplifies how teachers can make their classes more interactive and light-hearted while still allowing their students to learn. In a stressful school environment, getting fresh air and having fun and friendly competition make students more interested in that class. As Mr.Smith’s students would agree, this real-life application of physics proved as fun as it was educational.