The Design & Technology Department at KEVICC and the Totnes Rotary Club, recently held the inaugural Totnes Primary school Rocket Competition this June. The three participating primary schools, Dartington, The Grove and St Johns, all had launch sessions for the project for their students in either Years 4 or 5. These sessions were led by KEVICC Design & Technology staff between November last year and May 2019. Each centre consequently ran their own in house competition to select the best three teams to represent them in the finals.
The aim of the project was to involve Year 4 & 5 students in STEM learning where they work in teams over an extended period of time. Each centre involved was donated a launch kit by the Totnes Rotary Club for the competition and to keep for future learning.
In early June the Totnes area finals were held at KEVICC where students had to talk to a panel of judges, produce a display and fire their rockets accurately. Awards for various competition sections were given and an overall prize for the best overall performance.
The prize for the overall winning school was a dongle that will allow schools and students to communicate with a real satellite and stream data as it is collected in space. However the judges from Totnes Rotary were so impressed with the student work from all the schools that they donated this prize to all centres. Students will go live with this system in the autumn with data collection from the satellites being streamed allowing students to experience ‘real-time’ live science exploration.
Rocket Competition 2019 Results
Best Team Presentation to Judges: ‘St John’s Water Rocket Science’ Team
Best Information Board: Dartington Primary School Team ‘Firebirds’
Best Use of scientific Principles: St John’s ‘Team Rocket Launcher’
Best Constructed Design: The Grove ‘Orange Bullet’
Most Innovative Design: ‘St John’s Water Rocket Science’ Team
Most Accurate Design: Dartington Primary School ‘Flying Angels’
Overall Champions: ‘St John’s Water Rocket Science’ Team