Curated OER
Flying With The Wright Stuff
Students explore the history of flight, specifically the Wright brothers. Pupils create paper airplanes. They discuss considerations in building an aircraft such as drag, thrust, and weight. Classmates compare the Wright Brother's...
Curated OER
Four Forces of Flight
Students explore the four forces of flight. They investigate the four forces of flight: lift, drag, thrust and weight (gravity). They experiment with flight-testing various objects commonly found around the house and constructing paper...
Curated OER
Assembling an Aircraft
Students practice reading directions from a task card to assemble a paper aircraft during their Moon, Mars and Beyond mission. They relate the activity to their mission work and recognize the importance of reading directions.
Curated OER
Aircraft Trajectory Problem Set
Students read text from a NASA Web-based textbook then demonstrate an understanding of the text by using it to complete an activity on aircraft trajectories.
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Flight Unit Culminating Activities
Students participate in a variety of culminating activities surrounding a unit on flight. They design and test a plane at an interactive website and then write a paragraph explaining what the qualifications are for their ideal airplane...
Teach Engineering
May the Force Be With You: Drag
Do not let friction drag you down! The 11th segment in a series of 22 focuses on the fourth force acting upon an airplane—drag. Pupils learn about the effects and causes of drag.
Curated OER
Happy 100th Birthday Airplane
Students research the Wright Brothers and their plane. For this airplane history lesson, students use a hotlist of sites to research and create an airplane. A question is provided for each site.
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The "Wright" Puzzle
A crossword puzzle based on the lives of the Wright brothers. Young scholars research on their own or in small groups several brief biographies of the Wright brothers.They complete a crossword puzzle based on their reading.
Teach Engineering
May the Force Be with You: Weight
Too much material will weigh you down. The sixth segment in a series of 22 highlights how weight affects a plane. Pupils learn that engineers take the properties of materials, including weight, when designing something.
Curated OER
How Things Fly
Students 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. Students perform three experiments that...
Curated OER
Women In Aviation
In this aviation lesson, students take an electronic field trip to the Aviation Museum of Kentucjy. In the process the lesson looks at women in aviation history. The focus is upon how they could be considered heroes or role models. The...
Curated OER
Flight Home Lesson Plan 3
Young scholars examine photographs of twentieth-century aircraft from the National Air and Space Museum. They compare aircraft wings, fuselages, and engines to investigate different approaches to aircraft design.
Curated OER
Flight Home
Students experiment to investigate the role in fixed-wing flight. They watch as air and water flow around surfaces to examine the dynamics of airflow around an aircraft wing.
Curated OER
Nazis Flying Saucers – Film Sparks UFO Debate
Students explore the aircraft used in World War II. For this World History lesson, students read an article that describes a "flying saucer" created by the Nazi's. Upon completion of the reading, students answer questions on the article,...
Curated OER
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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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.
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Lady of the Sky Amelia Earhart
Eighth graders explore the contributions of Amelia Earhart. In this Amelia Earhart lesson, 8th graders research Internet and print sources to find information about the aviation feats of Amelia Earhart. Students write...
Curated OER
Dayna Lykins, Leanna Prater
Fourth graders compare and contrast gliding flight and true flight. They investigate the basic principles of aeronautics. The class participates in activities to observe lift and the effect of air. Students design and fly their own...
Curated OER
Lifting Bodies: Designing Your Own Spacecraft
Pupils work cooperatively with classmates to design a wingless vehicle that can fly back to Earth from space, landing like an aircraft. Students plan and describe their models. Also, they will research facts about the lifting body program.
Curated OER
Turbojet Thrust
Students, after reading the Web page Turbojet Thrust and completing the activity, explain how jet engines use air to produce thrust. The educational software ""FoilSim" is used in this lesson to help students calculate thrust.
Curated OER
Center of Gravity Problem Set
Students read a NASA Web-based text, then demonstrate an understanding of the text by using it to complete an activity on the center of gravity of a commercial cargo airplane.
Curated OER
Build a Paper Plane
Students study the history of the paper plane. In this design lesson plan students create several types of paper planes and determine if there is a difference in mean flight distances.
Curated OER
Maximum Flight Time
Learners, after reading an explanation from a NASA Web site, demonstrate an understanding of the text by applying it to questions involving Maximum Flight Time and Range under varying conditions.