History of rockets

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/history-of-rockets

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the earliest probable origin?Song Dynasty China, 10th century, for arrow propulsion
2. What is the key period of diffusion?Mid-13th century, coinciding with the Mongol invasions across Eurasia
3. Where did the first rockets come from?The earliest rockets were made in Song dynasty China around the 10th to 13th centuries. They were small tubes filled with gunpowder that pushed arrows farther.
4. Why did people use rockets in battles?Rockets let soldiers attack enemies from far away. They were a new kind of self‑propelled weapon that changed how wars were fought.

Saltpeter: A key ingredient in gunpowder, also known as potassium nitrate.
Ballistic Projectile: An object, like a cannonball or arrow, that is fired and then travels freely under the influence of gravity and air resistance.
Aerodynamics: The study of how air moves around objects and the forces it creates.