APOLLO 10

Teachers' Resources

KS2: 7 - 11 YEARS OLD

Unit 4E - Friction - Year 4

As well as all the excellent activities in the Curriculum document you could also draw the children's attention to the heat shield on Apollo 10 and how it was made of different heat resistant materials to withstand re-entry.

Get the children to pretend they are in the Apollo capsule and tell them they are about to start re-entry.
Get them to rub their hands together slowly at first - then faster and faster until they feel a burning sensation.
Explain this is friction which is the force acting on the capsule as it passes through the atmosphere.

Have a look at the parachute and helicopter activities on the site for other practical ideas that tie in with the documents on forces and friction. See also the films and flash movies about air resistance mentioned in the previous sections.

You might also like to show the children this Flash movie - can you throw the capsule past the Earth easily. It slows down - why?