It's rocket science at Saint Vincent de Paul School

Courtesy photo/Saint Vincent de Paul School

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SALT LAKE CITY — As part of the 6th grade science curriculum, students at Saint Vincent de Paul School have enjoyed a few weeks of extensive learning about the solar system. After reading their textbooks, watching educational videos, and doing several labs, the students participated in three "hands-on" activities to strengthen their knowledge. First, students got to design and build rockets which they launched in a competition for parents and younger classes.

"The students were very creative in designing their rockets based on strict criteria involving weighted loads, water and air propulsion, and aerodynamic design" said Ms. McFarlane, the school's middle school science teacher.

The second activity was a star-gazing party. Giant telescopes were set up in the St. Vincent's parking lot with the expert help of the Salt Lake Astronomical Society. All students and their families were invited to attend the evening and were entertained by the clear view of stars, planets and galaxies. They even got a glimpse of the International Space Station as it zipped by. A highlight was seeing Jupiter's moons, which are not visible by the naked eye. The 6th graders are now building their own solar system models and will present them to the class. Their study of the solar system will culminate with a field trip to the Planetarium.