Curated OER
Wright Flight
Learners 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...
NASA
Simulating Weightlessness
Floating across the top. Class groups examine the parabolas, written as parametric equations, that model the flight path of NASA's C-9 as it simulates weightlessness. They continue their exploration by changing the parameters to...
Curated OER
An Uplifting Experience
Learners examine the forces that affect the flight of airplanes through the use of paper airplanes. They conduct Internet research, conduct experiments demonstrating Bernoulli's Principle, and design and construct a paper airplane.
Curated OER
How Things Fly
Students research the mechanics of flight and create a slideshow with one slide dedicated to each of these topics: lift, drag, thrust, and weight. They create a short quiz regarding the material that they presented and give it to their...
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
Frisbee
Students examine the history behind the frisbee and how Bernoulli's principle and Newton's law plays a role. In this flight lesson students complete an experiment on how the rim of a frisbee effects flight.
Curated OER
Forces, Controls And Aircraft Systems
Students are introduced to the physics of flight through video and PowerPoint presentations. They construct and fly model gliders and compete for height, distance, time, etc.
Curated OER
Big Air Rules
Students discuss projectile motion using a basketball player taking off for a slam dunk, a fly ball launched off a hitter's bat, and a snowboarder flying off a pipe as examples. The lesson is expanded by introducing the mathematical...
NASA
Space Vectors
How do you determine the position coordinates of objects in space? Using the provided worksheet, class members determine the location of the space shuttle based upon its spherical coordinates from the Dryden Flight Research Center.
Curated OER
Sled Kite
Learners make and fly a sled kite out of plastic garbage bags, dowel rods, and more. In this kite lesson plan, students plan the kite to have symmetry and make adjustments as they test it.
Curated OER
Banana Man Glider
Students incorporate technology into the classroom as they investigate force and motion. In this science lesson, students construct a glider to be able to safely take a banana to the ground without dropping it. They investigate flight,...
Curated OER
The Pressure's Off II - Flight
Students investigate what allows air plane to fly, why birds can fly and why people can't. They construct a giant hot air balloon that can be launched using only a hair dryer.
Curated OER
Balsa Wood Airplane Flight and Speed Correlation
Ninth graders calculate the average speed of their balsa wood airplane. In 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...
NASA
Spacewalking
Hold your breath. The video and interactive website introduce the class to spacewalking and spacesuits. Using oxygen data from two astronauts, individuals determine a mathematical model to fit the data. Using that mathematical model, the...
NASA
Exercising in Space
Using the CEVIS space bike as a context, groups work together to calculate the settings required for astronauts to reach their necessary exercise. Pupils calculate the prescribed exercise settings and complete the last section, which can...
NASA
Suit Yourself: Fitted for Space
If he keeps this up, will he have enough air? After watching a video about spacewalks, groups of four brainstorm aspects of spacesuit design and present it to the rest of the class. Groups create mathematical models of oxygen use for two...
NASA
Space Shuttle Ascent: Mass vs. Time
Set the stage for groups of rocket scientists to explore the change in mass of the space shuttle during ascent. Teams work together to graph actual launch data in order to determine the rate of propellent burn.
NASA
Space Shuttle Ascent: Altitude vs. Time
How long did it take to get to that altitude? Using a Google Earth file, groups explore a space shuttle launch. Using a calculator, groups determine the function that models the altitude/time data from an actual launch. With the model in...
NASA
Ascent: 50 Seconds to MECO
All systems go! With a video and a Google Earth tour as background, pairs investigate two graphs. The graphs display acceleration vs. time and velocity vs. time of a space shuttle launch. Using graphing calculators, the pairs take a...
Curated OER
The Aspect Ratio of Wings
Junior engineers examine aspect ration in airplane wings. Using the length and width of two differetn wings, they calculate the aspect ratios and compare drag rankings. An engineering or space science class would benefit from this...
Curated OER
What Makes Thing Fly?
Second graders study lift, drag and thrust from a real flight instructor. In this physical science lesson students build and fly paper airplanes and experiment with variations and design.
Curated OER
What Makes Airplanes Fly . . . Why Me
Students investigate the historical development of human attempts to fly and the practice of keeping recorded data for historical reasons.
Curated OER
Forces in Fluids
In this forces in fluids worksheet, students answer questions as they relate to forces in fluids. Students complete a chart about atmospheric pressure.
Curated OER
Rocketry in Motion
Students investigate why a balloon flies in one direction as air escapes in the opposite direction, which helps them understand the nature of rockets and fireworks. Individually and in teams, students conduct research to create a...