The National Humanities Center presents collections of primary resources compatible with the Common Core State Standards - historical documents, literary texts, and works of art - thematically organized with notes and discussion...

Learn about the early efforts to fly, the Wright brothers first successful flight in 1903, and the modern airplane.

How does an airplane stay aloft when upside down? This media-rich essay from the NOVA Web site offers an explanation based on Newton's third law of motion.

Biographical information on the Wright Brothers, including their childhoods, the Wright Cycle Shop, the world's first airplane, a chronology, and links to more information.

The purpose of this activity is to demonstrate some of the different parts of an airplane through the construction of a paper airplane. Students will build several different kinds of paper airplanes in order to figure out what makes an...

This lesson plan teaches the engineering method for testing wherein one variable is changed while the others are held constant. Students compare the performance of a single paper airplane design while changing the shape, size and...

This lesson introduces students to the art of designing an airplane through paper airplane constructions. The goal is that students will learn important aircraft design considerations and how engineers must iterate their designs to...

At this site students will use origami to fold a paper airplane that fly better than the classic dart airplane.

The purpose of this activity is to use a scientific method to determine the effect of control surfaces on a paper glider. The students will construct a paper airplane/glider and test its performance to determine the base characteristics...

Orville Wright's account of his and his brother's first three airplane trial flights.

Learn about the Dayton, Ohio brothers who are credited with inventing and flying the world's first successful airplane.

This site honors Orville Wright for his invention, in collaboration with his brother Wilbur, of the airplane. Content includes a brief biography of the inventor, as well as look at how his invention has impacted our society.

Figure out how to keep birds off airport runways by following this experiment with scarecrows.

This is a culmination activity used after students have studied Bernoulli's Principle as part of a unit on forces and fluids. Students will use the Internet, textbooks, library resources and their cooperative learning group to design...

In this fun activity, you will be the "customer" ordering a paper airplane, and your student teams will be engineering companies that will manufacture planes. Before they start making planes, they need to define the criteria and...

A detailed look at the lives of Orville and Wilbur Wright, offering an overview of their childhood and career choices, their invention of the airplane, and the development and challenges of the airplane business. Provides embedded links...

Airplane wings do not all have the same design. With this Science Buddies project you can design your own wings to see which offers the greatest lift. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract,...

Make a paper airplane and experiment with adding winglets to it to test its performance. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and introduction, followed by a section on terms,...

There's a lot to understand about the simple propeller to see how it affects lift and thrust in an airplane or helicopter. This Science Buddies project gives you lots of ideas on how to change the design of the propeller to achieve...

A good essay on the development of the airline industry in the United States as a result of World War I. Many companies worked on airplane design, but few survived after the war.

Site offers "general dimensions, specifications, weight characteristics, and man hours required to build the aircraft." Also gives individual thumbnail images "of the technical preparation of the airplane."

A website that catalogs information and activities for how airplanes work. The concept of aerodynamics is explained in full detail.

Understand the concept of drag and find out how it affects the movement of airplanes.

Through this series of three lessons, students will gain an understanding of the basics of flight. They will learn about the four forces of flight and practice their observation skills through a number of fun experiments. In addition,...