Teach Engineering
May the Force Be With You: Lift
Get the class up and going with a lesson that discusses how airplane wings provide lift. Pupils use their knowledge of Bernoulli's Principle to develop an explanation of how it creates lift on airplane wings.
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Forces
An interesting worksheet on force and inertia is here for your young scientists. The worksheet is meant to be used as a vehicle for oral interviews. There are three questions about force and seven questions regarding intertia. Very good!
Teach Engineering
You Are There... First Flight
Glide into the study of flight. An engaging lesson has scholars research information on the Wright brothers. They develop props and produce a recreation of the first flight at Kitty Hawk. They then report on the event as if they were...
Teach Engineering
May the Force Be with You: Weight
Too much material will weigh you down. The sixth segment in a series of 22 highlights how weight affects a plane. Pupils learn that engineers take the properties of materials, including weight, when designing something.
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Flight
Students are introduced to the four forces of flight--drag, lift, thrust, and weight--through a variety of fun-filled flight experiments. They "fly" for short periods and evaluate factors that might either increase or decrease their...
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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...
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Flight Dreams - Flight Factors
Students investigate the physics of flight by experimenting in class. In this history of flight instructional activity, students define terms such as gravity, lift, and drag in order to better understand how a plane is able to stay in...
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Origami Flight: The Physical Setting
Sixth graders investigate the forces that move certain objects. In this physics lesson plan, 6th graders design and create paper flying objects using origami methods, which they practice flying in different conditions. Students record...
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Gravity, Forces, and Inertia
Pupils participate in assessments involving gravity, forces, and inertia. They select from a menu of options assessments they would like to complete including worksheets, drawing posters, watching videos, creating crossword puzzles, and...
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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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Apollo Moon Landing
Young scholars explore paper rockets, learn about the Apollo Program and Apollo spin-offs, and use simple office supplies to design and create a new useful product. This amazing plan is incredibly well written and leads students through...
NASA
Touchdown
Individuals design and build a set of shock absorbers to protect their astronauts when they land. Using a limited amount of supplies, pupils build a system that will keep two large marshmallows from flying out of a cup when it lands...
Curated OER
Paperplane Flying Circus
Learners create paper airplanes. They compare and contrast the airplanes created in class and test them out. They adjust their airplanes until they all fly. They discuss the forces that allow flight to occur.
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Kites
Students build a kite while integrating math and science. In this kite building lesson plan, students construct a blueprint and apply mathematical formulas while constructing a kite. They use appropriate flight and kite terminology to...
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Art in Engineering - Moving Art
Learners study how forces are applied in the creation of art. They design mobiles and pop-up books while identifying which forces of nature act upon them. They look at air currents, gravity, and hand movement.
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Aerodynamics
Students 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.
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How Things Fly
Learners explain basic principles of aeronautics such as gravity and lift. In this How Things Fly lesson, students visit the interactive, hands-on How Things Fly gallery at the Smithsonian. Learners perform three experiments that...
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Start the Space Flight Time Line
Students research space flight exploration and technology. In small groups, they research a significant event from early time until the start of the space age. A class time line is created from the research groups.
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Parachutes: What a Drag
Sixth graders make 2 different kinds of parachutes and record and graph the time for each one for the different drag forces. In this parachute lesson plan, 6th graders compare the results to the rest of the class of each parachute 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...
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Newton's Third Law of Motion
Seventh graders are introduced to Newton's Third Law of Motion. In this physics lesson students examine the concept of thrust as one of the forces acting on aircraft.
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3-2-1 Blast Off!
Students explore physics by participating in a flight experiment. In this rocket design lesson, students discuss the scientific process and how chemical reaction can create the energy needed to boost a rocket. Students utilize...
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Sled Kite
Students make and fly a sled kite out of plastic garbage bags, dowel rods, and more. In this kite lesson plan, students plan the kite to have symmetry and make adjustments as they test it.
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Applied Science -Technology (6B) Pre Lab
Sixth graders discuss how simple machines overcome friction. In this simple machine lesson, 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...