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TE Activity: Heavy Helicopters
Students study the concepts of weight and drag while making paper helicopters. They measure how adding more weight to the helicopter changes the time for the helicopter to fall to the ground. They apply what they examine to the work of...
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What a Drag
Middle schoolers learn examples of friction and drag, and suggest ways to reduce the impact of these forces. The equation that governs common frictional forces is introduced, and during a hands-on activity, students experimentally...
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Forces on an Airplane and Resulting Motion
Students read from a NASA Web-based textbook, then students demonstrate an understanding of the text by answering questions about the forces on an airplane and their resulting motions.
Yale University
Airplane Mathematics
The history of aerodynamics is rich with experimentation and international collaboration. Author Joyce Bryant relays this dynamic past and provides math word problems using the formula of lift, the force that makes airplanes fly. She...
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Airplane Wings
Students examine the aerodynamics of a wing and how it generates lift. In this flight activity students complete several experiments including how to build a paper plane and how airfoils affect performance.
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Build Your Own Car
Students design and build their own cars. In this physics lesson, students test their car's speed and make changes when necessary. They graph data and analyze results.
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Paper Airplanes
Students study paper airplanes. In this lesson on aerodynamics, students print out the folding directions for making paper airplanes and after making the planes test their paper airplanes to see how well each flies. Students weigh their...
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Want to Drag?!
Students use the Metric system and engineering software to design a scale model car. In this scale model car making lesson, students design a scale model car using computer software, the Metric system, and properties of aerodynamics....
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Air and Aerodynamics
In this science activity, students find the words that are related to the vocabulary of air and aerodynamics. The answers are found at the bottom of the page.
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Science: Flight Aerodynamics
Young scholars apply the principles of aerodynamics by constructing styrofoam airplanes. By using simple tools and materials, they improve their spatial visualization abilities while increasing motor skills. After small groups of...
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Lindbergh Flies Again
Young scholars research to find the location of the flight of Charles Lindbergh, and interpret its significance. They identify and analyze the changes in aeronautic technology since 1927. The instructional activity lists several...
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Science: The Bicycle as a System
Students explore how the different parts of a bicycle relate to each other and identify the subsystems. They discover how bicycles work and investigate their history. In groups, students research each of the subsystems and present...
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Bernoulli's Principle: Wind and Wings
Learners investigate Bernoulli's aeronautical discoveries. Working in groups they conduct simple experiments with paper that demonstrate how airplane wings work and how they are affected by air pressure.
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Balloonautics
Students are introduced to basic aerodynamics through a discussion of thrust and drag and a hands-on activity. They examine the forces of thrust, drag, air pressure, aerodynamic shapes and Newton's Third Law Of Motion.
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Aerodynamics
Students discover the basic principles of aerodynamics, including the roles and identity of natural forces involved. They examine how the force of gravity is overcome by the curved shape of an airplane wing and air pressure.
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Center of Gravity Problem Set
Young scholars read a NASA Web-based text, then demonstrate an understanding of the text by using it to complete an activity on the center of gravity of a commercial cargo airplane.
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Airplane Parts/Functions Problem Sets
Students label and describe the functions of the parts of an airplane. They access a NASA Web-based textbook and read a series of lessons before labeling the parts of an airplane.
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Wing Area
Students demonstrate an understanding of the text by applying it to the calculations involving the area of a wing. They use an online textbook to help them calculate the area of the surface of wing planforms.
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Energy Problem Set
Learners calculate the potential energy of a glider, the kinetic energy of a moving glider and the change in velocity when potential energy changes to kinetic energy.
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Dimensional Analysis Problem Set
Learners, after studying various pages of a NASA Web-based textbook, use dimensional analysis to verify actual aeronautic equations.
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Beginner's Guide to Aerodynamics
Students, after reading an explanation from a NASA Web-based textbook, you demonstrate an understanding of the text by applying it to questions involving the theories of how a wing produces lift.
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Aircraft Motion
Young scholars, after reading an explanation from a NASA Web-based textbook, demonstrate an understanding of the text by applying it to the calculations involving the motion of an airplane.
Curated OER
Aircraft Motion
Pupils, after reading an explanation from a NASA Web-based textbook, demonstrate an understanding of the text by applying it to the calculations involving the motion of an airplane.
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Flying the Friendly Skies
Young scholars investigate aerodynamics by comparing and contrasting the flight of two gliders. They make prediction and observation charts and test a variety of hypotheses using paper gliders.