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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gliders

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars design and build a small glider. They see how the flight of a bird is similar to the flight of a sailplane. They explain how birds get their thrust and how they control their direction of flight.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Determining Center of Gravity

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students complete calculations involving the structure and properties of matter. They engage in a variety of problem solving activities to help them determine the center of gravity.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Woman on a Mission

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the July 1999 space shuttle mission while learning how to cite Web sites in correct MLA bibliographical format. They discuss the mission's goals and historic importance as the first American space flight commanded by a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Soda Straw Rocket Activity

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students construct a rocket using soda straw. In this physics instructional activity, students determine the nose cone length that produces the best rocket. They explain the importance of using a control in an experiment.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learn to Build a Rocket in 5 Days

For Teachers K - 5th
Learners explore physics by participating in an engineering activity. In this rocket lesson, students define a list of scientific vocabulary terms such as "re-engineering" and "trade-off." Learners identify the rocket creation process by...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Principles of Flight

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study flight and compare various flights.  In this measurement lesson students complete a lab activity and record measurements. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Excited About Flight!

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students create flying objects by using materials given in 3 different flight centers. In this flight lesson plan, students go to each center and have a discussion about each one.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

One Two three Isaac Newton and Me

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders study Newton's Laws and apply these concepts to travel in space.  In this space lesson students complete several lab activities. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A New Century of Flight- Part 2

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students explore airlines and flight. For this flight lesson, students discuss the size of aircraft and how that impacts travel. Students view online travel sites to determine fare pricing and record data in a chart. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Designing Kites

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders sketch their own kites by creating a scale drawing of an original design.  In this designing kites lesson, 6th graders draw a rough sketch, then accurately draw their design on large paper with a ruler, measuring precisely...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding Bernoulli's Principle

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explain why we fly. In this space science lesson, 5th graders discuss Bernoulli's prinicple and its relation to flight.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kites

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students build a kite while integrating math and science. In this kite building lesson, students construct a blueprint and apply mathematical formulas while constructing a kite. They use appropriate flight and kite terminology to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sled Kite

For Teachers K - 8th
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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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Celebrating 100 Years of Flight

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners practice reading comprehension, note taking and writing skills. In this literacy and writing lesson, students read about the invention of airplanes, women pilots and the space race before writing their own news article on "100...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Four-Wing Paper Boomerang

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students build a four-wing paper boomerang. In this aeronautics lesson, students construct a paper boomerang and identify the forces at work during flight.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Finger Boomerangs

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students construct boomerangs. In this aeronautics lesson, students use a file card, scissors, and pencil to develop their own boomerang.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Make a Helicopter

For Students 3rd - 4th
In this paper folding worksheet, students cut out a pattern before folding it into a helicopter. They determine how changing the configuration of the flaps make the helicopter fly differently. They also add different amounts of weight to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Things Fly

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students 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. Students perform three experiments that...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Aerial Age

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students infer America's attitude towards aviation in the early 1900s. For this The Aerial Age lesson, students analyze early 1900s literature, music, advertisements, and popular culture in reference to aviation. Students represent their...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

History of Flight Timeline

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lift and Drag: Principles of Flight and the Soaring Imagination

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Students construct models of early gas balloons and gliders. In this balloon and glider lesson plan, students create models of early gas balloons and gliders, discover how the forces of lift and drag effect aircraft in flight, and put...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Birds

For Students 8th - 12th
For this birds worksheet, students review the characteristics of birds including their adaptations for flight. Students review the diversity of bird adaptations. This worksheet has 4 short answer, 7 true or false, 6 matching, and 3 fill...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Measurement Word Problems

For Students 8th
In this measurement instructional activity, 8th graders solve 10 different word problems that include illustrations to match. First, they determine how long ago the railway coaches started on the tracks in the US. Then, students...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Internet Inventors Scavenger Hunt

For Students 4th - 5th
In this inventors scavenger hunt worksheet, students research 10 different significant inventors known to history. First, they read each question to determine which inventor to search for using the Internet. Then, students write a...