Aerodynamics Teacher Resources

Physical science juniors will enjoy this sensational enrichment on aerodynamics, especially if they are also sports fans! With a focus on physical features and behaviors, collaborative groups make observations on five different golf...

Students explore aerodynamics. In this aerodynamics activity, students study the flight patterns of three paper airplanes and discover the underlying principles of aerodynamics. Resources and grade level modifications are present.

Demonstrate lift to the class that is studying aerodynamics. In the stream of air produced by a blow dryer, little physicists place a wad of tissue paper and a spherical figure to compare. Or, if you have a vacuum cleaner and beach ball,...

Students explore aerodynamics and Bernoulli's principle by devising ways to keep bubbles aloft.

While your physical science class is studying mechanics, this would be a fabulous enrichment video for covering aerodynamics or friction. Mechanical engineers dedicate their time to developing Olympic-quality bobsleds to be as fast, but...

In this science activity, students find the words that are related to the vocabulary of air and aerodynamics. The answers are found at the bottom of the page.

Learners discover the basic principles of aerodynamics, including the roles and identity of natural forces involved. They examine how the force of gravity is overcome by the curved shape of an airplane wing and air pressure.

Students apply the principles of aerodynamics by constructing styrofoam airplanes. By using simple tools and materials, they improve their spatial visualization abilities while increasing motor skills. After small groups of students...

Seventh graders design, construct, refine, and test cars that they build on the computer screen. They find the density of several objects using the techniques used to find volume. They measure various common objects to become more...

Students research aerodynamic design. In this aerodynamic design lesson plan, students investigate wind resistance on a car. Students explore the reasons necessary for aerodynamic design.

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.

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...

The history of aerodynamics is rich with experimentation and international collaboration. Author Joyce Bryant relays this dynamic past and provides math word problems using the formula of lift, the force that makes airplanes fly. She...

Students, after reading an explanation from a NASA Web-based textbook, you demonstrate an understanding of the text by applying it to questions involving the theories of how a wing produces lift.

Students examine how aerodynamic forces affect the flight of aircraft, animals and sports balls and projectiles (like a javelin or boomerang). They discover the origins of the boomerang and early usage in hunting.

Pupils study aerodynamic forces - lift and drag - and see how those forces affect cycling performance. They see how those forces are calculated and how

Students investigate the physics of flight through various experiments. For this physics lesson, students construct different flying objects. They explain the dynamics that make these object fly.

Humans have been using boomerangs for at least 20,000 years. The video looks at the structure and use of the boomerang to analyze the aerodynamics involved. It stresses the importance to torque and the difficulty in throwing them...

Throwing a curve ball can make or break a sporting game, but what is the scientific process for throwing this way? The video explains the Magnus force, aerodynamics, and the axis of rotation, and relates the science to both baseball and...

Using the Cartesian coordinate system, future flight experts plot points to determine whether or not an airplane will fly. With the four forces of weight, lift, drag, and thrust represented in different quadrants, your physics learners...

Keep everything under control. The lesson, 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 the tails and...

Which modification is the best? Using the scientific method, pairs determine the effects of each control surface on the distance of a glider's flight. The activity, section 16 in a 22-part unit on aviation, allows pupils to gain a better...