Teach Engineering
Fun with Bernoulli
Reduce the pressure in the classroom. The second instructional activity in an Airplanes unit of 22 introduces the class to Bernoulli's Principle. Pupils demonstrate the principle by blowing between different objects causing a reduction...
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
Features and Limits of Aircraft Design
Students identify the desired features of an aircraft and the limits that they, the Wright Brothers, or NASA scientists might face in designing one, and methods to solve these. They review parts of an airplane and what makes it fly. They...
Curated OER
Problems and Solutions in Aircraft Design
Learners watch demonstrations of paper folded designs that do and do not fly and discuss their observations. They identify problems that they, the Wright Brothers, or NASA scientists face when designing an aircraft, and identify...
Curated OER
Pilots, Airplanes, and the Tangent of Three Degrees
Students explore how to use trigonometry in the aviation field. In this aviation lesson students complete trigonometry equations that show what planes should do to land their airplanes.
Curated OER
Light Sport Aircraft Design Challenge
Students investigate aircraft design to learn many concepts of physics. In this aircraft design lesson, students use balsa wood and styrofoam to build an aircraft based on their study of wing designs, aviation, and through the use of an...
Curated OER
Aviation
Sixth graders examine the main parts of an airplane and explain their functions. They inquire about a flight simulator. They study a flight plan and what happens when they move the flight controls. They view and keep a logbook.
Curated OER
Proportionality: Modeling the Future
Students explore and examine how patterns, measurement, ratios and proportions are utilized in the research development and production of airplanes. They meet a pilot from the Federal Aviation Association who describes the growth of air...
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Cruising Aircraft and Balanced Forces
Students, after reading an explanation from a NASA Web-based textbook, demonstrate an understanding of the text by applying it to questions involving cruising aircraft and balanced forces.
Curated OER
Criteria and Constraints in Aircraft Design
Young scholars 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...
Curated OER
Radiation Comparison Before and After 9-11
Using the NASA website, class members try to determine if changes could be detected in cloud cover, temperature, and/or radiation measurements due to the lack of contrails that resulted from the halt in air traffic after the attacks of...
Curated OER
Testing and Refining Aircraft Design
Students design and make a flying device. They work in small groups to brainstorm ideas for the design of their device. They choose an idea or combination of ideas to use for their design and create a sketch of their design. The students...
Curated OER
Design a Paper Airplane
Students study examples of paper airplanes and then create their own paper airplane models.
Teach Engineering
Future Flights: Imagine Your Own Flying Machines!
What will flying look like in the future? The 21st lesson in a 22-part unit on aviation reviews the major aspects of the lesson. Pupils brainstorm ideas of a future flying machine.
Teach Engineering
Airplane Tails and Wings: Are You in Control?
Keep everything under control. The instructional activity, the 16th segment in a 22-part unit, provides a more detailed look at the parts of a plane, specifically the control surfaces. Pupils learn about the construction of the wings and...
NASA
The X-1 Paper Glider Kit
After reading an interesting account of how the X-1 aircraft was designed, built, and utilized, young engineers try their hand at constructing a paper glider version of the airplane. They cut out the plane out of a nicely designed...
Curated OER
Trimmed Aircraft
Students, 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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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.
Curated OER
Stories of the Wrights' Flights
Young scholars examine primary sources to understand the work of Wright Brothers. In this aviation history lesson, students study how primary documents and images are analyzed and write essays about the signifcance of primary soures in...
Curated OER
Lifting Bodies: Designing Your Own Spacecraft
Students work cooperatively with classmates to design a wingless vehicle that can fly back to Earth from space, landing like an aircraft. Students plan and describe their models. Also, they will research facts about the lifting body...
NASA
The Wright Quest
A very impressive lesson plan on the Wright brothers and their place in aviation history. Learners discover many fascinating facts about the Wright brothers and their trials and errors regarding flight. Best of all, they get to build a...