Rocket Science 101 – An App for Designing and Testing Virtual Rockets
Last week on FreeTech4Teachers.com I published a review of NASA’s Rocket Science 101 game. At the time I wasn’t aware that an Android version of the game existed too. Thanks to an email from David Beaver I now know that NASA Rocket Science 101 is free for Android users.
NASA’s Rocket Science 101 is designed to help students understand how rockets work. The app also helps students understand the differences between the four types of rockets most frequently used by NASA. In Rocket Science 101 students can build all four rockets in a jigsaw-like activity then virtually launch their rockets. When the rockets are launched students see the timing of each stage of the launch from surface to orbit.
After playing with the four types of rockets students can try their hands at matching rockets to real NASA missions. In the challenges students read about a NASA mission then have to select the rocket that can carry the payload and travel the distance required to complete the mission.