Farrar Posted July 19, 2016 Share Posted July 19, 2016 Okay, finally got a topic from a kid for one of next year's projects. Hit me with resources. I'd especially like to find... * What's a good model rocket book or kit? Something a 12 yo could do mostly independently (he has a lot of experience with electronics and building stuff - this will be a new topic, but he's relatively handy) - I'm happy to do this either way - kit or DIY with a decent instruction book... * I'd love to find a really good history of flight written at the middle school level - or possibly a couple of books, history of airplanes and history of space exploration... Anything else? He's in seventh grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted July 20, 2016 Author Share Posted July 20, 2016 Anyone? Anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 Horrible Science Fight for Flight? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 For books, this one and those next to it at the library. DS10 loves flight so he reads from the aviation section of the library https://www.amazon.com/Flight-Complete-History-R-G-Grant/dp/0756619025 For hands on these pdfs are good but you might want to browse through and see. https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Rockets.html http://www2.estesrockets.com/pdf/Physics_Curriculum.pdf http://www.nar.org/educational-resources/ Also look at visiting and joining a local rocketry club http://www.nar.org/find-a-local-club/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 He's old enough for Civil Air Patrol, which teaches those things and even gives him a chance to fly a plane himself. :) This textbook by CAP could easily function as a spine You can download the TM for free here. The black AEX books further down would be a great fit for that age, and they're loaded with worthwhile projects that are fairly inexpensive. They used to have them as free downloads, but you can still find them on the used book market from time to time. Here's volume 1. You might sort through the lower level free resources to see if there's something you can use. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 My rising 8th grader has been hooked on airplanes and flight in general since he was in diapers. Here's the books that come up when I search for flight, airplanes, rockets and such in our family library that could be appropriate for a 7th grader. Voyager's Grand Tour (nonfiction reader, would pair nicely with the old Star Trek movie) Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet (fiction) Popular Mechanics 101 Things That Go Fast: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles You can Make and Ride Horrible Science: The Fight for Flight Born to Fly (biography) The Best of Make volume 1 The Aviation Book: A Survey of the World's Aircraft (line drawings, large collection) Wright Brothers for Kids: How They Invented the Airplane, 21 Activities Exploring the Science and History of Flight Timechart History of Aviation (pull out timeline he convinced me we needed at a used bookstore) Flight: 100 Years of Aviation (DK adult, this thing is like the KHE of the aviation world) Fighting Jets (one of those he just takes to bed with him occasionally) Cutaway Book of Flight (look inside the planes, not very many selections) Charles A. Lindbergh: A Human Hero (biography)Book of Flight: The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (extra side reading during a flight unit) Draw 50 Aircraft and Spacecraft Military Aircraft Visual Encyclopedia Backyard Ballistics Backyard RocketsEscape from Earth: Voyages Through Time Exploring the Solar System: A History with 22 Activities Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story (biography) US Air Force in WWII Golden Age of AviationInto the Teeth of the Tiger (nonfiction reader) Fighter Pilot's Heaven (nonfiction reader) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 I am at the library and browsing through the Make:Rockets book. It is doable for your son. The call number is 621.4356W52 https://www.amazon.com/Make-Rockets-Down-Earth-Science/dp/1457182920 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 I briefly saw a book from the Smithsonian when we were in the library this afternoon on the new books shelf. It's called "Milestones of Flight: From Hot-Air Balloons to SpaceShipOne" by Tim Groves. Amazon puts it at ages 10-14. We haven't used the "Make: Rockets" book, but we have used the "Make: Electronics" which was really easy for ds to use fairly independently. The electronics book had a components kit available for purchase on the Make website that I really wish we had purchased. My bil tried to source the materials for us on his own which probably would have been fine, except I didn't feel like I knew nearly enough to help ds when he wasn't sure what to use in some of the more difficult activities. I did check to see if there was a kit available for the "Rockets" book, but there wasn't so my optimistic self says maybe the supplies are easier to source. I still want to go back and maybe buy the kits for ds. I need a bigger budget. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 My bil tried to source the materials for us on his own which probably would have been fine, except I didn't feel like I knew nearly enough to help ds when he wasn't sure what to use in some of the more difficult activities. I did check to see if there was a kit available for the "Rockets" book, but there wasn't so my optimistic self says maybe the supplies are easier to source. I still want to go back and maybe buy the kits for ds. I need a bigger budget. We have the make electronics kit 1 & 2. We bought at 50% off when RadioShack closed some local stores. For the make electronics materials, almost everything is at RadioShack in their loose components pull out drawers. There is also a nice blog for make electronics that we looked at for more info. http://handsonelectronics.blogspot.com/2010/01/welcome-to-hands-on-make-electronics.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 Hazel Richardson has How to Build a Rocket. https://www.amazon.com/How-Build-Rocket-Hazel-Richardson/dp/0531139980?ie=UTF8&colid=27KFBDHEI7AZV&coliid=I3IWPI2NKYLP3T&ref_=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl My boys like the Estes rocket sets, especially the Designer Special. So much variety and fun. https://www.amazon.com/Estes-1980-Designer-Special/dp/B0084JTDOS/ref=pd_sim_328_25?ie=UTF8&dpID=519ULamcupL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR95%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=R8S9K9V5Y2M8YGM8DJ64 I would recommend having him do an Estes kit first though, to see if he likes it and to give him experience building so he will know how to work with the parts in the big kit. You need an engine pack to go with that. https://www.amazon.com/Estes-Blast-Flight-Rocket-Engines/dp/B00004YW6O/ref=pd_bxgy_21_img_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=6YX0FEB920AKK34RT5H8 Despite its cost, I have to mention Project Lead the Way's textbook on aerospace. https://www.amazon.com/Aerospace-Engineering-Ground-Ben-Senson/dp/1435447530/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1469078805&sr=1-1&keywords=Project+lead+the+way+aerospace My oldest DS loves these books. He is a big nonfiction reader and likes textbooks. Maybe your library has it? I have purchased several of these by watching used book prices and stroking when they go down to an acceptable level. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 (edited) This is pretty basic, but the Boy Scout merit badge pamphlet for Space Exploration is pretty good. Building a rocket is a MB requirement so there is info on that. You may find the pamphlet online for free, printed costs about $5. Did anyone mention the Estes website? LOTS of free lesson plans, science, history, etc. Edited July 29, 2016 by Alessandra 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry in OH Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 He's at the upper end of the age range for this title, but if he hasn't study rocketry before, it would provide a good introduction - Rocketry: Investigate the Science and Technology of Rockets and Ballistics He might also find some of Mary Kay Carson's books interesting: The Wright Brothers for Kids Exploring the Solar System Beyond the Solar System 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaxy Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Don't forget field trip possibilities -- are you near anything that has an air/space/flight exhibit? Would also suggest following some of NASA's updates, and also SpaceX and their launch schedule. THEY LANDED A ROCKET ON A BARGE IN THE OCEAN WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT. Amazing stuff! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted July 29, 2016 Author Share Posted July 29, 2016 Don't forget field trip possibilities -- are you near anything that has an air/space/flight exhibit? Well, yes. We live in DC. ;) There might be a museum or two... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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