The Rocket Challenge
Teaching Hub
Let’s get you ready for mission success!
Here you’ll find everything you need to help you prepare for the Rocket Challenge, including all of your printable and downloadable resources.
Work through the checklists below to make sure you’re ready for your STEM space adventure. You’ll need to tick off everything in the list before the challenge blasts off at the start of Term 2.
Pre-challenge checklist
Prep for teachers
- Complete teacher training
- Read the health and safety guidance
- Read the challenge guide
- Familiarise yourself with the Student Hub
- Check the rocket kit has arrived or that your existing kit is ready for blast off
- Meet up with your ambassador to plan lessons
- Agree who will assemble the rocket launcher
- Complete the teacher pre-challenge survey
- Ask ākonga to complete the student pre-challenge survey
- Share the caregiver information sheet
- Start collecting resources for the challenge
- Join the Wonder Project Facebook group
Prep for ambassadors
- Complete ambassador training
- Read the health and safety guidance
- Order your free Wonder Project t-shirt using code RCTEE2025. You should wear the tee on your Wonder Project visits
- Read the challenge guide
- Familiarise yourself with the Student Hub
- Meet up with your kaiako match to help plan your time in the classroom
- Agree who will assemble the rocket launcher
- Prepare your career presentation
- Start collecting resources for the challenge
- Join the Wonder Project Facebook group
Scroll down to get started!
You'll find everything you need to run the challenge successfully on this page.
Challenge training
Complete teacher training
A series of fun videos that cover all the important information you’ll need to know before you get started on the challenge.
Complete ambassador training
A series of fun videos that cover all the important information you’ll need to know before you work with ākonga on the challenge.
Additional training options
Online Q&A (kaiako and ambassadors)
In our casual Q&A sessions, you’ll join our Wonder Team online via Microsoft Teams to ask any pātai you have about the Rocket Challenge.
Run time: 30–60 minutes
Dates:
- Tuesday 6 May, 3.30pm > register
Challenge resources: Teaching
Challenge guide
Pānui the challenge guide for resource lists, timings, lesson plans, the ambassador's role in the classroom, and support notes.
Key concepts
Read the key concepts document for detailed notes on Rocket Challenge learning concepts.
Career presentation template
Download our ambassador presentation template to use for telling your career story in Module 1.
Health and safety guidance
Learn everything you need to know to keep you and ākonga safe in the classroom.
Rocket launcher assembly video
Watch these video instructions to help you put together your rocket launcher. Make sure it’s done 24 hours before use.
Assessment: guide
Use our guide to assess your ākonga on their learning during the Rocket Challenge.
Assessment: reflection template
Let ākonga reflect on their learning after each module and provide answers in their own way.
Assessment: achievement tracking
Use curriculum achievement objectives and key competencies comment bank for formal reporting.
Learning quiz
Get ākonga to participate in this quiz as a fun way to recap their challenge learning.
Wonder Project Facebook group
Join this support forum for ambassadors and kaiako to access advice and tips from fellow Wonder Project participants across the country.
Need help sourcing additional resources?
In the challenge guide, there’s a list of a few additional resources you’ll need to source to complete some of the activities including bike pumps and measuring cups. We want to ensure that the Rocket Challenge is accessible to all schools across Aotearoa. So, if you need help sourcing these resources or printing ākonga activity sheets, we are happy to help. Please reach out to us and let us know what you need.
Challenge resources: Student
Student Hub
The Student Hub has all the content your class will work through to complete the challenge. Check it out before you start to get familiar with the learning content.
Student Mission Briefs booklet
Download and print a workbook of all the ākonga activities in English for modules 1–6 (print A3, double-sided, flip on short edge).
Ngā Tohutohu ā-Whāinga mā te Ākonga
Download and print a workbook of all the ākonga activities in te reo Māori for modules 1–6 (print A3, double-sided, flip on short edge).
Sticker progress chart – English
Track progress in English as ākonga work through the modules.
Sticker progress chart – te reo Māori
Track progress in te reo Māori as ākonga work through the modules.
Poster: Engineering design process – English
Print and display this poster in English on the engineering design process – four steps engineers use to solve a problem.
Poster: Te Tukanga o te Hoahoa Pūkaha
Print and display this poster in te reo Māori on the engineering design process – four steps engineers use to solve a problem.
Poster: Health and safety rules
Print and display this poster that summarises the 10 health and safety rules of the Rocket Challenge.
Poster: Ngā ture mō te hauora me te noho haumaru
Print and display this poster in te reo Māori that summarises the 10 health and safety rules of the Rocket Challenge.
Poster: Newton’s laws
Print and display this poster that summarises Newton’s three laws of motion with Kiwiana examples.
Poster: Ngā ture a Niutana
Print and display this poster in te reo Māori that summarises Newton’s three laws of motion with Kiwiana examples.
Ākonga participation certificate
Certificate in English to distribute to ākonga to celebrate and mark the end of the challenge.
Tohu Whakamīharo
Certificate in te reo Māori to distribute to ākonga to celebrate and mark the end of the challenge.
Challenge resources: Further information
Overview of the programme
Understand what ākonga will learn during the Rocket Challenge.
Information for caregivers
Print out a copy for ākonga to take home to their whānau.
Information for ambassadors
Learn more about the Rocket Challenge and being an ambassador.
Information for online ambassadors
Get tips and tricks on how to tackle the challenge as an online ambassador.
Ambassador badge
Our volunteer Wonder Project Ambassadors can display this digtial badge proudly on their email signature or business card.
Impact surveys
Make sure you complete our pre and post challenge surveys. These are an important tool for us to improve the programme each year and continue our funding to keep the Wonder Project free for schools.
Before the challenge starts
Student pre challenge survey
All ākonga should complete the student pre-challenge survey before they begin the challenge.
Teacher pre challenge survey
Each participating kaiako should complete the teacher pre-challenge survey before they begin the challenge.
After the final module
Student post challenge survey
All ākonga should complete the student post challenge survey after they complete the challenge.
Teacher post challenge survey
Each participating kaiako should complete the teacher post challenge survey after they complete the challenge.
Ambassador post challenge survey
Each participating ambassador should complete the ambassador post challenge survey after they complete the challenge.
Student Hub
Access the content your class should work through to complete the challenge.