Launch a high-engagement mini-unit that fuses STEM design with Cold War history. In 2–3 class periods, students explore rocketry and orbital motion through hands-on builds (water/bottle rockets or model kits) and orbit demos (string, marbles, balloons). They connect experiments to the U.S.–Soviet Space Race (Sputnik, NASA’s formation, Apollo Moon landing) and reflect on how technology and history drove one another. Includes safety, data tables, analysis prompts, and a quick rubric. Perfec