Teach Engineering
Design a Flying Machine
Wrap up the unit in one final design. Pairs use their knowledge of aviation to design new flying machines and record how their designs take into consideration the forces that act upon airplanes. The pupils determine whether their designs...
Curated OER
Wright Flight
Students explain and explain the interactive relationships between forces of lift and gravity, thrust and drag, as they apply to airplanes in motion. They know that Orville and Wilbur Wright flew the first airplane based on these...
Curated OER
Look Mom, No Wings!
Students explain how drag, weight, lift and thrust work together to make something fly. In this physics lesson, students measure their jump height and record data on the table. They reason out why they can't remain airborne for long.
Curated OER
Principles of Flight: Flying Paper Airplanes
Students investigate ways to enhance an object's flying ability. In this model construction lesson, students construct two paper airplanes, one of which is twice as big as the first. Students compare and contrast the two...
Curated OER
Origami Flight: The Physical Setting
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...
Curated OER
Paper Dart Airplane
Young scholars create a paper dart airplane and measure its flight pattern. In this flight lesson, students follow the included directions to build their own paper airplane. The young scholars change the aileron configurations to see how...
Curated OER
Build A Borneo Glider!
Students construct a paper glider. In this physics of gliding lesson, students first learn about Borneo and it's rainforest habitat. After students discover the way animals in Borneo glide from tree to tree, they use their newly acquired...
Curated OER
Soaring With Air Power
Fourth graders view a Newton's Apple show that explores glider mechanics, explore the four forces, build and fly a glider to specific guidelines. They adjust the glider for greater accuracy and distance using four forces, and assess...
Curated OER
Aerospace
Students experiment with weight and balance of a glider. In this flight instructional activity students construct their own flying glider and record their experiment with it.
Aiken County Public Schools
Claymation in the Classroom
Students design an appropriate and usable storyboard and then create a claymation video. They take digital photographs frame by frame, then assemble the stop-motion movie using video software.
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Air and Aerodynamics
In this science worksheet, middle schoolers find the words that are related to the vocabulary of air and aerodynamics. The answers are found at the bottom of the page.
Curated OER
THE FLIGHT PLATFORM
Students examine forces that effect flight. In this flight lesson students answer questions that are asked of them and the ones that they ask themselves.
Children's Museum
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis: Curious Scientific Investigators: Flight Adventures
Students will make paper rockets, parachutes, and foam gliders to experience how objects move through the air. Explore topics such as thrust, weight, gravity, force, and lift through fun activities and stories and cutting-edge work done...
University of Minnesota
The Physics of Flight: Bernoulli's Principle
Discusses air flow around the wing of a plane and its effect upon the lift and drag forces. Focuses on the application of Bernoulli's principle to wing design and the subsequent airfoil shapes.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: What Makes Airplanes Fly?
Students begin to explore the idea of a force. To further their understanding of drag, gravity and weight, they conduct activities that model the behavior of parachutes and helicopters. An associated literacy activity engages the class...
NASA
Nasa: Beginner's Guide to Aerodynamics
Includes exhaustive information and a wealth of activities pertaining to aerodynamics and the physics of flight.