lilSTAR Inaugual Rocketry Event

WHAT IS LILSTAR'S INAUGUAL ROCKETRY EVENT

On Saturday, November 11, 2017, volunteers, mentors, and families from San Diego, CA will join efforts for one common purpose: to start raising low academic achievement by engaging young people in the Newtonian physics of model rocketry.

In solidarity of this community concern, let's come together to create a better world for all - a world where everyone with technical aptitude has the opportunity to develop their skill and contribute to a better society. 

African American youth face many challenges and opportunities. lilSTAR embarked on a strategic planning process after studies were published proving African American youth are at risk for being neglected in public schools and STEM professions. Both lilSTAR’s planning committee and board of directors developed this strategic plan with the understanding that lilSTAR would play a central role to help African American youth build their future selves.

In 2015, the San Diego County Office of Education measured California’s Common Core standardized test scores, revealing the following for ethnic groups:

28 percent of African Americans met or exceeded standard in English language arts/literacy and 16 percent in math.

32 percent of Latinos met or exceeded the standard in English language arts and 21 percent in math.

72 percent of Asians met or exceeded standard in English language arts/literacy and 69 percent in math.

The list of objectives will enable us to serve 50 Black and Latino students, ages 8 through 13, living in the targeted area stretching from East Village and Barrio Logan in the West to Encanto and Emerald Hills in the East. It has a population of more than 77,000 residents. The area is characterized as having high unemployment (15.61 percent), low educational attainment, insufficient access to healthy food, concentrated poverty (39.06 percent), rising crime rates and the least affordable housing in the country.

OBJECTIVES

• Bring science to life through the experience of building and flying a model rocket.
• Integrate rocketry with science and math.

STUDENT OUTCOMES

The student will be able to:

• Describe and demonstrate proper safety procedures when launching a rocket.
• Identify each part of a rocket and describe its function.
• Construct a model rocket.
• Describe how a rocket works from launch through acceleration, coasting, apogee and landing.
• Describe how fins provide aerodynamic stability to the flying rocket.
• Construct and demonstrate the use of an altitude measuring device.
• Describe rocket recovery systems and determine which type is best for the rocket being constructed.
• Demonstrate proper safety procedures based on the Model Rocketry Safety Code when launching a rocket.
• Describe Newton’s three Laws of Motion and how they relate to model rocketry.