Rocket Science Made Real: How Micro:bits Brought My Water Rocket Lab to Life

Written by: Yenny T. Sanchez from Hoover High School in San Diego Unified School District

Hey fellow teachers! I’m pretty excited to share a fun upgrade I made this year to the classic water rocket lab I’ve been running with my 10th graders at Hoover High School for a while during our forces unit. This time, I integrated Micro:bits with their built-in accelerometers to collect real-time acceleration data during the rocket launch and the students loved it. 

Students downloading the code onto the Micro:bit

Setting Up the Lab

I started by asking students to bring in empty 2-liter plastic bottles. Then, I explained the goals and expectations for the lab, specifically why we are using the Micro:bit’s accelerometer to get accurate acceleration data during launches.

We spread the lab activities over several class periods to give students time to prepare thoughtfully:

• On the first day, students completed a worksheet to review the key physics concepts and decided how much water to use for their launch.

• The next class was dedicated to a practice calculation sheet to build confidence with the kinematics equations we’d use later.

• Then, students moved on to the hands-on part—designing their rockets using cardboard, duct tape, box cutters, and recycled folders.

• Finally, we worked on the Micro:bit code and prepared the rockets for launch, making sure the Micro:bit was securely attached, won’t get wet, and won’t break during flight.

The core of the lab remains the same: a two-liter bottle partially filled with water, pressurized, and launched. The big upgrade is adding a Micro:bit inside the nose cone to measure acceleration throughout the rocket’s flight. Before launch day, I walk students through the Micro:bit code to ensure they understand how it works and are ready to collect accurate data.

Coding, launching, and getting the rocket ready with Micro:bit

How to Attach the Micro:bit?

I highly recommend using bubble grab plastic, ziplock bags

Using bubble wrap allows you to see the Micro:bit while keeping it protected from impact

Launch, Record, and Analyze  

When the rocket takes off, the Micro:bit records acceleration changes using its sensor (specifically the z-axis aligned with the rocket’s direction of travel). After launch, students download the data and graph it manually. Sure, it’s slower than automated graphing apps, but grappling with the data by hand boosts their understanding of every point and trend.

Graphing the data by hand allows students to build more meaning about each data point collected

We finish by comparing the graph to Newton’s laws and discussing questions like: When did acceleration peak? When did the rocket experience free fall? This real data ground the physics concepts in actual observations.  

Why This Works So Well  

Forces can be abstract, but when students launch a rocket, measure acceleration themselves, and prove Newton’s laws with real numbers, the physics clicks. Adding Micro:bits ties the classic lab to modern STEM tech and real-world data science practices.  

Lesson Resources  

Lesson 1 - Teacher Slides 

Lesson 1 - Pre Launch Calculations

Lesson 1 - Pre Launch Answer Key

Lesson 1 - Teacher Coding tips

 Lesson 1 - Post Launch Calculations

Lesson 1- Exit Ticket

Reflection

Adding Micro:bits to this water rocket lab was such a cool experience—for both me and my students. I loved seeing their faces light up when the “science stuff” started to feel real and personal because they were holding the data themselves.

It reminded me that sometimes, all it takes is a small tech tweak to bring fresh energy to a classic lesson. And honestly, it’s those “aha” moments that make teaching so rewarding.

If you’re thinking about trying something similar, go for it! You might be surprised how much it changes the way your students connect with the material.