Ninth-grade students at Amanda Elzy High School prepared for takeoff Friday during a project for their technology discovery class.
The class fired rockets on the school's baseball diamond and measured their angles in the sky, which they then used to calculate altitude in the classroom.
Students really liked the project.
"It's one of the best things we did at Elzy this year," said student Jasmine Swims.
Once they traveled to a certain height, the rockets' noses broke off, releasing a parachute. Students would then run to chase the descending parts.
Teacher Reginald Moore said an upcoming exam will cover the parts of a rocket, engine composition and measuring and calculating angles. The class focuses on the ways that math and science work together.
Moore said the class watched the movie "October Sky" to get inspired about the project. The film is based on the true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry.
The occasional rocket back-fire was fun, too. A rocket which failed to break and released its parachute took off and never came back.
"Look's like that one's going to be in the next county," Moore said.
"Well, at least we know that one got the highest altitude," said student April Williams.
The rocketry project is one of many hands-on activities Moore has done this year. Students have also participated in bridge building to determine tension and used cameras to film and edit their own public service announcements and news reports.
Moore is a 1991 Elzy graduate and received a bachelor's degree in industrial technology and electronics from Mississippi Valley State University. After working at Greenwood Leflore Hospital for seven years in electronics, he obtained his teacher certification and went back to Elzy.
"I felt it was important to come back and give back," he said.
