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Website
University of Chicago

Flights Before the Wrights: Octave Chanute, Chicago

For Students 9th - 10th
A site that chronicles the life of Octave Chanute, an aeronautical engineer involved in flight before the Wright brothers.
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Activity
Read Works

Read Works: The Amazing Flying Machine

For Teachers 4th
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the Wright brothers inventing the airplane and how that led to other aircraft inventions. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
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Article
A&E Television

History.com: The History of Flight: From Breakthroughs to Disasters

For Students 9th - 10th
From hot-air balloons floating over Paris to a dirigible crashing over New Jersey, here are some of the biggest moments of aviation history. Below is a timeline of humans' obsession with flight, from da Vinci to drones. Fasten your...
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Handout
Science Struck

Science Struck: Events That Led to the Invention of the Airplane

For Students 9th - 10th
Discover the history of the first airplanes and flying machines, and how the Wright brothers constructed their first successful airplane.
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Graphic
Curated OER

Open University: First Flight: The Wright Brothers

For Students 9th - 10th
A look at what the Wright Brothers accomplished. Includes information on the scientific experiments that they conducted, and the 1903 flyer they built to protect themselves from injury as they both learned how to fly.
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Graphic
Curated OER

Open University: First Flight: The Wright Brothers

For Students 9th - 10th
A look at what the Wright Brothers accomplished. Includes information on the scientific experiments that they conducted, and the 1903 flyer they built to protect themselves from injury as they both learned how to fly.
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Graphic
Curated OER

Open University: First Flight: The Wright Brothers

For Students 9th - 10th
A look at what the Wright Brothers accomplished. Includes information on the scientific experiments that they conducted, and the 1903 flyer they built to protect themselves from injury as they both learned how to fly.
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Graphic
NPR: National Public Radio

Npr: Evolution of Military Aviation

For Students 9th - 10th
An interactive timeline lets you see examples of military aircraft that have evolved since the first flight of the Wright brothers. Links at the bottom of the page lead to articles about fighter pilots.
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Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Air and Space Museum: America by Air: Early Commercial Aviation

For Students 9th - 10th
Commercial airlines took flight soon after the Wright brothers' famous first flights. Read about how the U.S. government encouraged the development of air travel.
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Activity
NASA

Glenn Research Center: Newton's Laws of Motion

For Students 9th - 10th
NASA presents a concise explanation of Newton's three laws of motion. Click on the highlighted vocabulary to find more detailed and illustrated descriptions. Included is a link to a movie that shows how the laws of motion described the...
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Handout
Science4Fun

Science4 Fun: Invention of Airplane

For Students K - 1st
Learn about the early efforts to fly, the Wright brothers first successful flight in 1903, and the modern airplane.
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Website
PBS

Wnet: Thirteen: Freedom: A History of the u.s. Safe for Democracy Webisode 11

For Students 9th - 10th
Webisode 11 - Safety for Democracy. The history of the United States is presented in a series of webisodes, within each are a number of segments.Included are links to lesson plans, teacher guides, resources, activities, and tools.