Rocket Science

Having a degree in engineering may be marketable in the states, but in Peace Corps, it’s been mostly an embarrassment. When I tell Kenyans, they look at me expectantly, hoping I will build them a road or a bridge. Their excitement barely contained, they ask, “What kind of engineer?” My shoulders slump, my face turns red, and I mumble, “Aerospace”. They pat my hand and smile, and I see the disappointment in their eyes.

A few weeks ago, I was visiting a primary school near my house. It was a very windy day, so I brought along my kite to show the children. I’ve never flown a kite before, but Narok, with its clear skies and constant breeze, seemed like the perfect place to learn.

This was published in the July 2004 edition of MamaSED, a volunteer newsletter:
Peace Corps Isn’t Rocket Science – Or Is It? by Amy Yates
	Having a degree in engineering may be marketable in the states, but in Peace Corps, it’s been mostly an embarrassment. When I tell Kenyans, they look at me expectantly, hoping I will build them a road or a bridge. Their excitement barely contained, they ask, “What kind of engineer?” My shoulders slump, my face turns red, and I mumble, “Aerospace”. They pat my hand and smile, and I see the disappointment in their eyes. A few weeks ago, I was visiting a primary school near my house. It was a very windy day, so I brought along my kite to show the children. I’ve never flown a kite before, but Narok, with its clear skies and constant breeze, seemed like the perfect place to learn.
We gathered about 40 students from Class 1 and Class 2 into the schoolyard. With the help of another teacher, the kite went airborne – for about 4 seconds. Then it dove into the crowd of excited children. I tried again and again to get the kite to fly. It never went higher than ten feet, but the children loved it anyway. Some of them asked me if next time I could please bring an airplane. Since flying machines are slightly out of the PCV budget, I decided to give them the next best thing – rockets! The design is very simple. If you have the time and patience, you can even have the kids make it themselves. First, go down to your local Fuji photo shop and ask for film canisters. From my experience, the owners are happy to be rid of them. The containers must have lids that fit on the inside, so ask for Fuji. Now, using scotch tape and your favorite piece of Peace Corps junk mail (not the Emergency Action Plan, for god’s sake), turn the canister upside down and make a tube around it. With more paper and tape, construct fins and a nosecone. The best “fuel” for the rocket is Alka Seltzer. Just fill the canister 1/3 full with water and add half a tablet. Close the lid quickly, set the rocket down, and stand back! With the right fuel mixture and rocket design, you may get 15 feet of lift. If you don’t have access to Alka Seltzer, use the Kenyan generic brands – Eno or Andrew, available for 10/= at the supermarket. I let the kids experiment themselves with the mixture. We tried three flights, one as described, one with more water, and one with more Alka Seltzer. If you have the time, you can also experiment with other fuels. Vinegar and baking soda will give you a few feet of lift, and is a great way to teach about acids and bases. If you want to see a sample rocket pattern or learn about the science behind the rocket, check out the website at http://spaceplace.jpl.nasa.gov/rocket.htm. Just for kicks, I also took the kids on a ½ mile “solar system walk”. Using common objects like green grams to represent earth and a soccer ball to represent the sun, we counted off steps to each of the planets. It’s a great activity to teach children about the scale of outer space and get some exercise in the process. Check out the details at http://www.noao.edu/education/peppercorn/pcmain.html.