PBS
Amelia Earhart: Aviator, Record-Breaker, and Activist
Fly through the gender barrier! Scholars investigate the impact Amelia Earhart had on American aviation and society. After watching a brief biographical video, learners take a look at primary documents to gain insight into her intriguing...
Tech Museum of Innovation
Lighter than Air
Scholars participate in two design challenges concerning flight in the second instructional activity of the series. They design balloon crafts that have neutral buoyancy and forward motion.
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The Shapes of Flight
Young scholars explore interaction between mathematics, science, and technology as they look at process of researching, developing, testing, and evaluating airplane design. They calculate glide ratio for model paper airplane by using...
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What Makes Airplanes Fly?
Students examine force and conduct activities that model parachutes and helicopters. In this airplanes lesson students identify the forces that make airplanes fly higher and land.
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Kite Experiments and Building Information
Students build their own kite following certain procedures. In this physics lesson, students explain the aerodynamics concepts involved in flying kites. They trace the development of aviation.
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A Plane Old Time
Fourth graders become familiar with a chart and use the information to create a flight plan. In this flight plan lesson plan, 4th graders access background knowledge of the role of flight controllers and the number concepts they use. ...
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PHYSICS OF FLIGHT
Ninth graders study the basic principles of flight, including the Bernoulli Principle and Newton's Laws. They construct and study model aircraft
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Criteria and Constraints in Aircraft Design
Students investigate criteria and constraints for designing any aircraft. They define these terms and categorize a series of examples of both. Using the constraints and criteria set before them, they design and construct airplanes in...
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Principles of Flight
Learners explore the principles of flight. In this flight lesson plan, students construct a model plane and investigate the forces acting on the flier. They will measure the thrust and calculate the stored energy.
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Classify Machines that Fly!
Eighth graders explore flight and the dichotomous key. In this flight lesson, 8th graders gain understanding of the dichotomous key and create one of their own. Students then use their dichotomous key to classify types of aircraft.
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Inventors and Inventions 2:Air and Space
Learners fly their own paper airplanes. In this flight lesson, students create paper airplanes and see whose plane will fly the farthest. They discuss what factors affect the flight and attempt to create a plane that will go farther.
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The Wright Stuff
In this lesson, students design an exhibition on the history of aviation for a science museum. For homework, they write short stories envisioning the future of flight in the year 2014.
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From Airmail to Airlines
Students explore changes in air transportation from 1920 to the present. In this air flight lesson plan, students are introduced to the history of air transportation. This lesson plan contains three different activities that will...
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Lift and Launch Angle
Students engage in a hands-on experiment to determine how launch angles affect airflow around the wing of an aircraft. They view a series of photographs and read information describing the Wright Brothers' experiences. They complete a...
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Paper Dart Airplane
Students 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 students change the aileron configurations to see how it affects...
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An Uplifting Experience
Fifth graders research and complete a graphic organizer about the principles of flight. For this aviation lesson, 5th graders experiment to understand the work of Daniel Bernouli and his discoveries about air pressure. Students create...
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Paper Airplane Contest
Students research principles of flight. They design their own paper airplanes and make predictions about the performance of different designs. Students keep track of their findings in an electronic journal.
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Exploring Aerodynamics
Students explore aerodynamics. In this aerodynamics lesson, students study the flight patterns of three paper airplanes and discover the underlying principles of aerodynamics. Resources and grade level modifications are present.
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Determining Center of Gravity
Students complete calculations involving the structure and properties of matter. They engage in a variety of problem solving activities to help them determine the center of gravity.
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Aviation Pioneers
Students research the Wright Brothers historic first flight and design a travel poster asking for volunteers to participate. Write a newspaper account of the first flight and include how the local people may have felt about the Wright...
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NUMB3RS Activity: Fresh Air and Parabolas
Explore parabolas and investigate linear and quadratic functions to solve problems symbolically and graphically. Also use parametric functions to display trajectories on a graphing calculator.
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Kite building activity
Students explore how a kite flies; this lesson plan is a precursor for the windmill activity. By exploring how a kite flies, the students explore the power of the wind; particulary how drag, lifft and gravity enable objects such as...
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How Do Airplanes Get Off the Ground
Students construct various types of paper airplanes, exploring action and reaction forces by conducting a paper airplane rodeo. Students then discuss how Newton's Third Law of Motion affected their planes.
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The Wrights' Flight: History Through Primary Sources
Pupils read primary source material about the Wrights' first flight such as a journal and a telegram. In this The Wrights' Flight lesson, students select the most reliable primary source and compare the pros and cons of using primary...