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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

100 Years of Flight

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students investigate Bernoulli's principle of air pressure and how it relates to the lift of an airplane. Students identify various Aeronautical vocabulary terms. Students construct a paper glider and experiment with the control surfaces...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Cars: Engineering for Efficiency

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students learn how the aerodynamics and rolling resistance of a car affect its energy efficiency through designing and constructing model cars out of simple materials. As the little cars are raced down a tilted track (powered by gravity)...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Physics of the Flying T Shirt

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students are introduced to the physics concepts of air resistance and launch angle as they apply to catapults. This includes the basic concepts of position, velocity and acceleration and their relationships to one another. They use...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: What a Drag

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students learn about friction and drag - two different forces that convert energy of motion to heat. Both forces can act on a moving object and decrease its velocity. Students learn examples of friction and drag, and suggest ways to...
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Website
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: The Science of Sports Cycling

For Students 9th - 10th
A detailed look at the aerodynamic principles associated with cycling. Good science and even better web page design. Includes an online calculator that allows the user to calculate the aerodynamic drag and propulsive power of a bicyclist...
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Lesson Plan
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)

Smile: Lab Activity: Aviation

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
This site from the Illinois Institute of Technology provides a student lab activity in which the flight of a paper airplane is investigated and studied. Designed for primary grades, but easily adaptable for junior high students.
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Activity
Treehut

Suzy's World: Aerodynamics

For Students 3rd - 8th
Use this fact sheet to find out what makes things fly with this fact sheet on aerodynamics.
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Lesson Plan
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)

Smile: Lab Activity: Helicopter

For Teachers 9th - 10th
The Illinois Institute of Technology lets young scholars investigate the aerodynamics of a helicopter, focusing on the variables which effect the lift, thrust, drag, and weight. Students investigate the effects of aerodynamics on a wide...
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Lesson Plan
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)

Smile: Lab Work: Come Fly With Me

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This site by the Illinois Institute of Technology lets students use a vacuum cleaner hose, ping pong balls, straws and other materials to investigate the effect of moving air upon the surfaces which it hits. Principles are applied as...
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Graphic
Curated OER

Aerodynamic Frame

For Students 9th - 10th
A detailed look at the aerodynamic principles associated with cycling. Good science and even better web page design. Includes an online calculator that allows the user to calculate the aerodynamic drag and propulsive power of a bicyclist...