Sophia Academy Eighth Graders Launch Final Exam

For their final exam, Sophia Academy 8th graders built and launched model rockets to demonstrate their understanding of Newton's three laws of motion.  The entire middle school gathered on the morning of May 20 to witness the launches, most of which were successful, one of which soared so high into the woods that it was unable to be retrieved.  Students had the option of including a “passenger” in their rocket—a raw egg—and to have their rocket deploy a parachute to cushion its fall.  All “passengers” landed intact, and the students rejoiced over the successful deployment of the parachutes.  Regarding the launching process, 8th grader Alicia Cantrell explained, “You can see the steam coming out, but it’s all air, and it acts as a force and lifts it up…The first law, second law, and third law—the rocket involves all of them.” 

Sophia Academy utilizes the inquiry-based science program GEMS, as well as teacher-designed curriculum and activities such as this one, which afford students the experience of hands-on experimentation and analysis.