Inquiry Science:
Balloon Rocket Investigation
Name _________________________
Date __________________________
Brainstorming
What do balloon rockets need to move?
What is the best way to design and launch a balloon rocket?
List all the things that you could change or vary about how a rocket is put together or launched.
Choosing Variables
Control Rockets: Describe how you will put together and launch your rockets so they will move.
Manipulated (changed) Variable: Choose ONE thing you will change about how you will put together or launch your rocket.
Test Rocket: This is the rocket (or rockets) that you will make and launch with only ONE thing changed. Describe how you will put together and launch your rocket(s) so that only one thing is changed.
Choosing Variables
(Continued)
Responding (measured) Variable: What will you measure so you can tell what effect the manipulated variable has on the rocket?
Controlled (kept the same) Variables: List everything that will be the same about your control rockets and your test (manipulated) rocket(s).
Asking a Question
The Question you are asking:
When I change ____________________,
(Manipulated Variable)
what will I measure to tell how the rocket(s) responded?
________________________
(Responding Variable)
Designing the Investigation
Prediction: (What do you THINK will happen?)
Materials: (What will you need to do this investigation?)
Procedure: (What are you going to do? Be as detailed as possible)
Setting Up the Investigation
Draw a picture of your control balloon rocket:
Draw a picture of your test balloon rocket:
Results
What you changed: ____________________________
(Manipulated Variable)
What you measured: ___________________________
(Responding Variable)
Draw a picture of the control rocket at the end of your investigation:
Draw a picture of the test rocket at the end of your investigation:
Results
Write a sentence summarizing the difference between the test and the control balloon rockets.
Graph of your results. Please label.
What you
measured
Control Rocket Test Rocket
Write a sentence explaining your graph.
Finding Patterns in Results
When you changed ____________________________
(Manipulated Variable)
How did your test seeds/ plants respond? __________________
(Responding Variable)
Where there any problems or surprises with your investigation? Explain.
Can you explain your results?
Do you have any further questions that would be good investigations?
Vocabulary
Control rockets: rockets built and launched the same way.
Test rockets: rockets you built or launched with ONE thing changed.
Manipulated variable: The ONE thing you changed.
Controlled variables: All the conditions you kept the SAME in both investigations.
Responding variable: The response of the rockets. The thing you measured.
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