The Franklin Institute
Franklin Institute: Flights of Inspiration
Franklin Institute site showcases the first flight taken by the Wright brothers. Follows the Wright brothers plan to achieve first flight as they used their failures to win them success in aviation.
Other
Eaa Aviation Center: The B 17 Flying Fortress
Meet the B-17 "Flying Fortress," a World War II airplane. Take the interactive tour. Discover the history, photographs, testimonials, videos to watch, and views of the interior of the plane.
NASA
Nasa: Biography of Orville Wright
Provides an interesting biography of the life and accomplishments of Orville Wright. The highlight of this site is the terrific historic photos throughout the text.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: What Was Right About the Wright Brothers?
In this unit students will explore the lives of the Wright brothers. The end result will be a student-made documentary highlighting the factors that allowed the Wright brothers to succeed at manned flight when others before them had failed.
NASA
Nasa: Biography of Wilbur Wright
Provides an interesting biography of the life and accomplishments of Wilbur Wright. The highlight of this site is the terrific historic photos throughout the text.
University of Houston
University of Houston: Engines of Our Ingenuity: No. 1418: The Influence of War
Does war inevitably advance the invention of new technology? Read this explanation of why this commonly held belief may not be true, at least in the example of military aircraft. This is a transcript of a radio broadcast.
Ibis Communications
Eye Witness to History: The Death of John Wilkes Booth, 1865
A detailed description of Booth's flight from the scene of the assassination of Lincoln, and Booth's eventual death. Includes an eyewitness account.
Flow of History
Flow of History: The Height of the Cold War (1957 72)
The events surrounding the Cold War at its very height are the focus. Text plus a colored graphic flowchart make the topic visually appealing and of interest to both students and educators.
A&E Television
History.com: What Happened to Twa Flight 800?
Minutes after its take off from New York's Kennedy International Airport, a Boeing 747 headed for Paris exploded midair over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Long Island on July 17, 1996, leaving all 230 people aboard dead. The...
PBS
Freedom: A History of Us: A Plane Flight and a Great Crash
Read a brief description of the attempts to cross the Atlantic in a plane in the 1920s, ending with information about the successful trans-Atlantic flight of Charles Lindbergh.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Copley, a Boy With a Flying Squirrel (Henry Pelham)
John Singleton Copley (1738-1815) is commonly considered the greatest portrait painter in the history of the American colonies. Read about his background and view pictures of his portraits in this essay.
Other
Warbirds Resource Group: Luftwaffe Resource Center
This comprehensive site catalogs the planes of the Luftwaffe from 1935 on, and provides detailed specifications on armaments, missiles, bombs and other accessories to air warfare. It does not present a history of their use, but rather a...
NASA
Nasa, Human Space Flight: Apollo 11 Mission
The story of the Apollo 11 lunar landing is told with dramatic details, pictures, and mission highlights.
A&E Television
History.com: How United Flight 93 Passengers Fought Back on 9/11
The cockpit voice recorder captured the sound of passengers attempting to break through the door. Like the three other planes hijacked on September 11, Flight 93 was overtaken by al-Qaeda intent on crashing it into the White House or the...
US Navy
Naval Historical Center: Exorcizing the Devil's Triangle
Howard L. Rosenberg writes this article about the area known as "The Devil's Triangle" or "The Bermuda Triangle." Besides discussing famous lost ships and airplanes, Rosenberg gives detailed information about the geography of the sea...
Other
Hawai'i Independent & Sovereign: The Overthrow of the Monarchy
An article from the in-flight magazine of Aloha Airlines relates the history of the events that led to the annexation of Hawaii in the 1890s.
The Franklin Institute
Resources for Science Learning: The Wright 1911 Model B Flyer in Flight
See film footage and read brief descriptions of Grover Cleveland Bergdoll's 1911 Model B flyer flight in 1934.
Read Works
Read Works: Designing the First Flying Machine
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about Wilbur and Orville Wright designing the first airplane. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Smithsonian Institution
National Air and Space Museum: Pioneers of Flight: Civilian Aviation
Even after Lindbergh's famous solo flight, he continued to explore flight and its possibilities. Look inside the Sirius cockpit and then pack up yourself to fly around the world. One problem, however, you only can take on a limited...
A&E Television
History.com: 6 Little Known Pioneers of Aviation
From an early glider experimenter to the first man to fly solo around the world, here are six lesser-known pilots and inventors who made their mark on aviation.
Schools of California Online Resources for Education
Score: Washington Elementary School: From Foot to Flight
The history of transportation in the United States is at the click of the mouse for specific modes. Activities and glossary are included. Geared toward primary students in content and navigation.
A&E Television
History.com: 5 Terrifying Moments During the Apollo 11 Moon Landing Mission
The astronaut crew had to troubleshoot a series of problems throughout the historic 1969 flight. This historic exchange on July 20, 1969 marked the end of a perilous journey to the lunar surface, but a multitude of threats still faced...
Digital History
Digital History: September 11, 2001
This site has a comprehensive overview of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S., including information on Osama bin Laden's background, the formation of Al Qaeda, the attacks themselves, the US response, civil liberties and national...
Curated OER
National Park Service: Flight 93
The terrorists' takeover of Flight 93 was part of the Attack on America, 9/11. The Park Service has made the crash site of Flight 93 into a national monument in honor of the passengers who developed a plan of action to regain control of...