Rocketry

The opportunity to build and launch rockets has been a continuing success story in the area of hands-on science education, especially for gifted and talented children. Yet what do students actually learn from these experiences? This entry examines effective structuring of model rocket activity specifically, but also looks at the bigger picture of the structure of hands-on activities for gifted students.

A widespread interpretation of Piagetian theory favors an oversensitivity to the things a child cannot do cognitively rather than a more optimistic and challenging emphasis on what children could do easily with the proper instructional sequence, structure, and social support. This optimistic and empowering emphasis on the child's early competence and strength is both a more empowering basis for science instruction for the gifted child ...