The Mililani High School freshman took the setback as the learning experience it was meant to be and his grin widened as he left the baseball field holding aloft the charred remains of his bright blue rocket.

"I still have my dignity," he joked.

Synjyn is one of 340 students who spent the past two days launching rockets as part of a final project for their mandatory physical science class. This is the first time the school has tried a rocketry program on this scale.

Teacher Chris Johnson can explain how the project has helped introduce students to more advanced math or science concepts that would have been more difficult to learn using only a textbook. One example is the trigonometric equation used to figure out how high the rockets can fly.

Makani Duhaylonsod launches her model rocket. Teachers say the physical science class project is an effective and enjoyable way of introducing students to more advanced math/science concepts. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

To the kids, though, the mass rocket launch was just fun, even when the rockets crashed, burned or disappeared altogether.

Besides math and science, the project required students to follow instructions and create quality products. Students who followed the directions exactly had successful launches. Those who didn't — about 30 percent — had to figure out why their rockets blew apart, crashed or failed to reach adequate altitude.

"You learn by your errors and your successes," Johnson said. Those students who had problems still had the opportunity to figure out what they did wrong so they could try again. "We try to give the students every opportunity to be successful," the teacher said.

"It's a fun way to learn how to follow directions and build things," said Allysen Kikumoto, who had a perfect launch. "We got to create our own and design it the way we wanted to."

Physical science teacher Christopher Johnson helps Mililani High School freshman Synjyn Flowers fuse his rocket before blastoff. When it finally took off, it exploded about 40 to 50 feet off the ground, but Synjin was unfazed. It was still a learning experience. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

Allyson and her partner, Chalsie Agustin, painted their rocket copper with pink polka-dots. Chalsie's job was to follow the flight with an altitude tracker to find the rocket's elevation angle at its highest point, which for them was about 422 feet.

Andre Lara and Trent Tamate's rocket flew even higher, but their parachute didn't deploy. Luckily, the rocket survived the impact. "It still had a successful flight," Andre said.

Both boys preferred this final project to more traditional instruction on force, motion and acceleration. "There's no homework, no classwork, you're just out on the field," Andre said.

"It's a lot more fun than regular science," Trent said. "To me it feels easier."

Cecilee Ciparro loads a rocket on its launcher. It was the first time that Mililani High has tried a rocketry program of this scale. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

Besides teaching the state's science standards, the project also addresses the state's general learner outcomes by showing students how to produce quality products and having them observe what other students are doing.

Teacher Michelle Dela Rosa, who has taught at the school for two years, thinks the project was a success, especially since these days students expect more interactive learning experiences.

"I think it's good," she said. "What you're learning in the classroom, you can take outside."