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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Up, Up, and Away in Your Own Hot Air Balloon!

For Students 9th - 10th
In this science fair project, students will make hot-air balloons using a toaster and dry-cleaning bags, and see how the size of the balloon affects its flight. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an...
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Interactive
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Floating and Sinking: Hot Air Balloons

For Students 9th - 10th
Why do hot air balloons float? This resource from the NOVA Web site offers a series of interactive activities that illustrates the physics of hot air balloons.
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Website
Library of Congress

Loc: Full of Hot Air

For Students 9th - 10th
Did you know that the hot-air balloon is the oldest form of successful human flight? Briefly described is the history and construction of hot-air balloons. Follow the link to "images of hot-air balloons and balloon racing" to view...
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Activity
Museum of Science

Museum of Science and Industry: Activities: Fly a Hot Air Balloon

For Students 5th - 9th
Step-by-step instructions, with photos, of how to construct a hot-air balloon from tissue paper, to demonstrate that heated air expands, creating a convection current. This activity requires the use of a hot air gun and is labor-intensive.
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Interactive
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Physics Simulation: Hot Air Balloon

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login Required] Learn about Newton's 2nd Law - the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration for a hot air balloon using this interactive simulation. A PDF worksheet and a video tutorial are also available....
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Handout
Science4Fun

Science4 Fun: Hot Air Balloon

For Students K - 1st
Covers the birth of the hot air balloon in 1783 with details on improvements to the modern day balloon.
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Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Design, Build and Test Hot Air Balloon

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students design, build, and then test hot air balloon designs. The activity concludes with flight testing the balloons and then a review of the design features of all balloons for the most advantageous design features.
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Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Adventure on a Hot Air Balloon

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
[Free Registration/Login Required] This first person account describes a hot air balloon trip. This passage is a stand-alone curricular piece that reinforces essential reading skills and strategies and establishes scaffolding for...
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Handout
Other

U.s. Centennial of Flight Commission: Balloons in the American Civil War

For Students 9th - 10th
What role did hot air balloons play in the Civil War? This comprehensive article answers that question and gives specific examples of their use by both the Union and Confederate troops.
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Interactive
Other

Artsology: Hot Air Balloon Challenge

For Students 3rd - 8th
In a five-step challenge, this exercise involves identifying hot air balloon artists by their work and name. Once you guess the correct balloon by the artist, you advance to the next level.
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Website
Other

Eballoon

For Students 9th - 10th
This site discusses the specifics of piloting a hot air balloon. Click on hyperlinks on the left-hand menu to find information on the parts of a balloon, their functions, the events that are often held involving hot air balloons,...
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Graphic
University of California

Department of Geography: u.s. Army Balloon Corps

For Students 9th - 10th
Pictures of hot air balloons in the Civil War and a brief explantation of their use.
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Estimating Buoyancy

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Young scholars learn that buoyancy is responsible for making boats, hot air balloons and weather balloons float. They calculate whether or not a boat or balloon will float, and calculate the volume needed to make a balloon or boat of a...
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Interactive
University of Colorado

University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Balloons & Buoyancy

For Students 9th - 10th
Experiment with a helium balloon, a hot air balloon, or a rigid sphere filled with different gases. Discover what makes some balloons float and others sink.
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Activity
PBS

Pbs Teachers: Hot Air Balloon Experiment

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Explore how heat affects the density of air by building and flying a hot air balloon using large plastic bags and the hot air from an electric hairdryer.
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Unit Plan
Concord Consortium

Concord Consortium: Gas Laws & Weather Balloons

For Students 9th - 10th
This activity uses the phenomena of hydrogen-filled weather balloons and hot air balloons to explore some of the gas laws.
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Graphic
Curated OER

Hot Air Balloon

For Students Pre-K - 1st
hot air balloon
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Graphic
Curated OER

Library of Congress: Full of Hot Air

For Students 9th - 10th
Did you know that the hot-air balloon is the oldest form of successful human flight? Briefly described is the history and construction of hot-air balloons. Follow the link to "images of hot-air balloons and balloon racing" to view...
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Graphic
Curated OER

Hot Air Balloon

For Students Pre-K - 1st
hot air balloon
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Balloons

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students follow the steps of the engineering design process as they design and construct balloons for aerial surveillance. After their first attempts to create balloons, they are given the associated Estimating Buoyancy lesson to learn...
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Graphic
Curated OER

Hot Air Balloon

For Students Pre-K - 1st
hot air balloon
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Website
PBS

Pbs Nova: Estimating Up, Up and How Far Away?

For Students 3rd - 8th
Use this cleaver site to estimate how far away a hot air balloon is from you using your thumb and arm length.
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Article
How Stuff Works

How Stuff Works: How Helium Balloons Work

For Students 9th - 10th
This article explains how helium is able to keep balloons afloat in the air. Compares them to how hot air balloons work. Includes a video, and some activities to try for testing the principles being discussed.
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Handout
The History Cat

The History Cat: Lincoln's High Tech War

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes the weaponry used during the Civil War, and some of the innovative technology that the Union's military forces employed. These included the minie ball, rifles, underwater torpedoes, the use of hot air balloons, and improved...

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