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Glide Away
Students design and construct a gliding aircraft. They use the Internet as a research tool to gain background information about specific flight principles.
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Flight
Students are introduced to the four forces of flight--drag, lift, thrust, and weight--through a variety of fun-filled flight experiments. They "fly" for short periods and evaluate factors that might either increase or decrease their...
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Gliders
High schoolers design and build a small glider. They see how the flight of a bird is similar to the flight of a sailplane. They explain how birds get their thrust and how they control their direction of flight.
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Determining Center of Gravity
Students complete calculations involving the structure and properties of matter. They engage in a variety of problem solving activities to help them determine the center of gravity.
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Woman on a Mission
Young scholars explore the July 1999 space shuttle mission while learning how to cite Web sites in correct MLA bibliographical format. They discuss the mission's goals and historic importance as the first American space flight commanded...
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Soda Straw Rocket Activity
Students construct a rocket using soda straw. In this physics lesson, students determine the nose cone length that produces the best rocket. They explain the importance of using a control in an experiment.
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Pilots
Students read books, learn about the letter p, and have 'p' snacks all to learn about pilots. Students also pretend to fly and draw what they would see if they were flying up in the air.
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Learn to Build a Rocket in 5 Days
Students explore physics by participating in an engineering activity. In this rocket instructional activity, students define a list of scientific vocabulary terms such as "re-engineering" and "trade-off." Students identify the rocket...
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Principles of Flight
Fourth graders study flight and compare various flights. In this measurement lesson students complete a lab activity and record measurements.
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Excited About Flight!
Students create flying objects by using materials given in 3 different flight centers. In this flight lesson plan, students go to each center and have a discussion about each one.
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One Two three Isaac Newton and Me
Ninth graders study Newton's Laws and apply these concepts to travel in space. In this space instructional activity students complete several lab activities.
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A New Century of Flight- Part 2
Students explore airlines and flight. For this flight lesson, students discuss the size of aircraft and how that impacts travel. Students view online travel sites to determine fare pricing and record data in a chart.
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Proportions in Flight
Sixth graders calculate wingspan and the body length of the birds and understand how they relate to how the bird flies. In this wingspan lesson plan, 6th graders also calculate their own "wing span" with their arms.
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Designing Kites
Sixth graders sketch their own kites by creating a scale drawing of an original design. In this designing kites lesson, 6th graders draw a rough sketch, then accurately draw their design on large paper with a ruler, measuring...
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Understanding Bernoulli's Principle
Fifth graders explain why we fly. In this space science lesson, 5th graders discuss Bernoulli's prinicple and its relation to flight.
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What's A Mammal?
Students examine mammals understanding what a mammal is and reviewing the eleven mammal groups. In this science lesson, students play a game known as Mystery Mammal Game. Yet, first students research about the mammal and then give...
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Kites
Students build a kite while integrating math and science. In this kite building lesson, students construct a blueprint and apply mathematical formulas while constructing a kite. They use appropriate flight and kite terminology to...
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Sled Kite
Students make and fly a sled kite out of plastic garbage bags, dowel rods, and more. In this kite lesson plan, students plan the kite to have symmetry and make adjustments as they test it.
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Celebrating 100 Years of Flight
Students practice reading comprehension, note taking and writing skills. In this literacy and writing lesson, students read about the invention of airplanes, women pilots and the space race before writing their own news article on "100...
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Four-Wing Paper Boomerang
Young scholars build a four-wing paper boomerang. In this aeronautics lesson, students construct a paper boomerang and identify the forces at work during flight.
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Finger Boomerangs
Students construct boomerangs. For this aeronautics lesson, students use a file card, scissors, and pencil to develop their own boomerang.
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Airplanes
Fourth graders experiment with gravity and lift by building paper airplanes. In this physics activity, 4th graders compare the falling rate of a crumpled vs. flat sheet of paper. Then after class discussion and demonstration of...
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How Things Fly
Young scholars explain basic principles of aeronautics such as gravity and lift. In this How Things Fly lesson, students visit the interactive, hands-on How Things Fly gallery at the Smithsonian. Young scholars perform three experiments...
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The Aerial Age
Students infer America's attitude towards aviation in the early 1900s. In this The Aerial Age lesson, students analyze early 1900s literature, music, advertisements, and popular culture in reference to aviation. Students represent their...