Teach Engineering
Design a Flying Machine
Wrap up the unit in one final design. Pairs use their knowledge of aviation to design new flying machines and record how their designs take into consideration the forces that act upon airplanes. The pupils determine whether their designs...
Curated OER
Wright Again: 100 Years of Flight
Aspiring aeronautical engineers demonstrate different forces as they construct and test paper airplanes. This lesson plan links you to a website that models the most effective paper airplane design, an animation describing the forces...
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.
Curated OER
Flight Dreams: Birds Flew First
Students observe how bird flight and machine flight are similar. In this aerodynamics lesson, students observe how birds fly and the shapes of their wings, and investigate how observing birds helped develop the concept of machine flight....
DocsTeach
Patent Analysis: Wright Brothers' Flying Machine
Ideas take flight in an exciting activity exploring the Wright Brothers. Scholars view the Wright Brothers' patent for their flying machine and makes educated guesses as to the purpose of the document. Scholars discuss the purpose of...
Curated OER
Flying in Unusual Places
Eighth graders create a surrealistic composition that depicts flight.
PBS
Reading Adventure Pack: Flight
A Reading Adventure pack focuses on the invention of flight. After reading a fiction and nonfiction book, scholars take their newfound knowledge to design a one-passenger flying device, experiment with different types of paper airplanes...
Curated OER
Classify Machines that Fly!
Eighth graders explore flight and the dichotomous key. In this flight lesson plan, 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.
Curated OER
Simple Machines
In this simple machines worksheet, students identify the 6 simple machines. They answer 21 questions about the types of simple machines, the output force of simple machines, the input force and the work involved in using a simple machine.
Curated OER
Flying Machines (ESL Lesson)
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a...hang glider? This ESL presentation is about vehicles that fly. From airplanes to rockets and blimps, the slides include vibrant illustrations that will help English learners identify common flying...
Curated OER
Early Attempts at Flight
Students investigate the early history of flight. In this aviation history lesson, students are split into six groups to research the development of the ornithopter, hot air balloon and the glider. Each group records information on the...
Curated OER
The Art of "Green" Flying
Students create an airship that doesn't use fossil fuel. In this flying activity, students research different types of flying machines that only use wind power. They discuss invention designs by Alexander Graham Bell and Leonardo Da...
Curated OER
Milestones of Flight
Students identify significant milestones in the history of flight. In this aviation history lesson, students study various resource materials and construct timelines of significant achievements.
Curated OER
History of Flight Timeline
Students research flight timelines and record their findings. In this flight lesson plan, students brainstorm with a KWL chart on what they want to learn about the history of flight. They then make a timeline of their findings, and...
Curated OER
Vehicles in the Air
There are vehicles that travel on the ground and there are vehicles that travel through the air. Show some of the various machines that fly. The helicopter, air plane, and hot air balloon are only a few vehicles mentioned on this...
Curated OER
Take a Leap!
Eighth graders discuss the flight of the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk. They study artwork of various sculptors showing the concept of flight. They write a paragraph and design a papier-mache' sculpture that shows movement.
Curated OER
Machine Guarding
Twelfth graders describe at least two of the main causes of machine accidents. Possible responses: Unauthorized persons doing maintenance or using the machines. Missing or loose machine guards. List three of the requirements for...
Curated OER
Applied Science -Technology (6B) Pre Lab
Sixth graders discuss how simple machines overcome friction. In this simple machine lesson plan, 6th graders review the parts of a plane and how they make up for gravity and friction. They roll different objects down an inclined board...
Curated OER
Orville and Wilbur Wong and the Fantastic Flying Machines
Upper elementary and middle schoolers examine the role of Chinese immigrants in America. They investigate literature, history and cultures of Chinese-Americans. This ambitious plan takes two weeks to complete, and it brings in elements...
Curated OER
Mimicking Nature; Science, Aviation, Flight, Wings
Learners consider the relationship between form and flight and investigate the history of man made flight and how wing shape and flexibility affects the maneuverability of an aircraft.
Curated OER
Four Forces of Flight
Students explore the four forces of flight. They investigate the four forces of flight: lift, drag, thrust and weight (gravity). They experiment with flight-testing various objects commonly found around the house and constructing paper...
Curated OER
The Wrights' Flight: History Through Primary Sources
Students read primary source material about the Wrights' first flight such as a journal and a telegram. For this The Wrights' Flight lesson, students select the most reliable primary source and compare the pros and cons of using primary...
Curated OER
Sculptures from the Skies
Fourth graders research the design of the aircraft used by the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk. They design a sculpture of aircraft using recycled materials.
Curated OER
Science: Birds in Flight
Students identify and examine adaptations in birds that enable them to fly. They conduct Internet research to relate these adaptations to the physics of flight. Students observe birds in flight and describe their behavior and flight...