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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Physics of Flight

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Three activities allow young flight engineers to understand the 4 principles of flight (weight, lift, thrust, and drag), to construct a glider, and to create a propeller. Multicultural history and literature are integrated by reading...
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Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

You Are There... First Flight

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Glide into the study of flight. An engaging lesson plan has scholars research information on the Wright brothers. They develop props and produce a recreation of the first flight at Kitty Hawk. They then report on the event as if they...
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Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Physics of Flight

For Students 3rd - 8th
Up, up, and away! Take your classes on a physics adventure. Learners explore the concepts important for flight. They experiment with the Bernoulli Principle while learning the forces that act on airplanes in flight.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Physics of Flight

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students discuss how the invention of flight changed the way people live today. In groups, they compare and contrast the differences between weight, lift, thrust and drag. Using these principles, they create a glider and propeller with...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Principles Of Flight: Wings That Spin

For Teachers K - 1st
Young scholars discover how flight is possible.  In this physics lesson, students investigate the properties of a blimp and gyro-copter, comparing rotating wings and fixed wings of aircraft.  Young scholars create their own model...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Flying with Pythagoras

For Teachers 7th - 10th
A lengthy narrative about Pythagoras and his students precedes an activity in which your young mathematicians practice using the Pythagorean theorem to solve three problems about flight and distance. Answers are provided. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Physics of Flight

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Learners view a PowerPoint slideshow on the basic physics of flight. They build and operate Newton cars as an illustration of these concepts.
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Activity
Curated OER

Hatchet: Concept Analysis

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Take an in-depth look into Gary Paulsen's Hatchet with a concept guide. With a list and explanation of thematic motifs, types of conflicts, and vocabulary in the novel, learners will engage with the text in a whole new way.
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Lesson Plan
Discovery Education

Jets in Flight

For Teachers 9th - 12th
This Discovery Education activity provides the information needed to understand the basics of flight. Before taking off, young pilots learn the eight stages of the engineering design process. Small groups then design and build an...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Principles of Flight: Bernoulli's Lift

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students discover how air pressure effects flight.  In this physics lesson, students create two types of airplane wings so they can observe the way air pressure creates lift.  Students utilize a printout to create the airplane wings.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Physics of Flight

For Students 7th - 12th
In this flight activity, learners will review the physics behind flight including lift, acceleration, and thrust. Students will also understand the Bernoulli effect. This activity has 6 true or false, 6 short answer, and 8 matching...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Physics Quiz

For Students 6th - 12th
For this physics worksheet, students complete short answer questions about physics concepts such as electricity, space, light, and more. Students complete 20 short answer questions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Crash Course in Flight

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High school physicists demonstrate Bernoulli's Principle by blowing on different items and finding that they do not move in the expected direction! They apply Bernoulli's equation to the flight of an airplane. This well-organized lesson...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Origami Flight: The Physical Setting

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders investigate the forces that move certain objects.  In this physics lesson, 6th graders design and create paper flying objects using origami methods, which they practice flying in different conditions.  Students record and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science: Birds in Flight

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Young scholars identify and examine adaptations in birds that enable them to fly. They conduct Internet research to relate these adaptations to the physics of flight. Students observe birds in flight and describe their behavior and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Light Sport Aircraft Design Challenge

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students investigate aircraft design to learn many concepts of physics. In this aircraft design lesson, students use balsa wood and styrofoam to build an aircraft based on their study of wing designs, aviation, and through the use of an...
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Unit Plan
Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Amazing Birds

For Teachers K - 4th
What's so amazing about birds? Find out just how amazing birds are with a physics of animal behavior unit created by Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Have learners explore and tap into their observational skills and notice how birds fly, what...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Graphing the Four Forces

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Using the Cartesian coordinate system, future flight experts plot points to determine whether or not an airplane will fly. With the four forces of weight, lift, drag, and thrust represented in different quadrants, your physics learners...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Airplane

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students demonstrate the Bernoulli Principle, review the influences that affected the Wright Brothers, and make and modify paper airplanes. This amazing lesson plan has an excellent structure, and very clear plans for the students to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Take a Leap!

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders discuss the flight of the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk. They study artwork of various sculptors showing the concept of flight. They write a paragraph and design a papier-mache' sculpture that shows movement.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Balsa Wood Airplane Flight and Speed Correlation

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders calculate the average speed of their balsa wood airplane. For this physics lesson, 9th graders build their own airplane and make necessary modifications to to make it fly straight. They interpret distance and time graph...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Principles of Flight

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explore the principles of flight. In this flight activity, students construct a model plane and investigate the forces acting on the flier. They will measure the thrust and calculate the stored energy.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Boomerangs Keep Coming Back

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students investigate the flight of paper boomerangs. In this flight lesson, students examine the flight variables of paper boomerangs, which they make, by investigating the concepts of lift and drag. They examine what happens when an...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Physics of Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study hummingbirds and how they use Newton's law.  In this motion lesson students complete several activities and view videos of hummingbirds.