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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar Car Races: Build and retrofit for speed

For Teachers 6th - 9th
If you have solar car kits for your junior high schoolers, they can experiment with photovoltaic cell angle, light intensity, and aerodynamic design to discover what makes their car move more quickly. This is a classic activity to use...
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Lesson Plan
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Teach Engineering

May the Force Be With You: Drag

For Teachers 5th - 7th Standards
Do not let friction drag you down! The 11th segment in a series of 22 focuses on the fourth force acting upon an airplane—drag. Pupils learn about the effects and causes of drag.
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Lesson Plan
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Tech Museum of Innovation

Ant-Man Saves the Day

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Provide Ant-Man with a flying device to aid in fighting crime. The first installment of a five-part unit has learners designing and building a flying device for Ant-Man. They write a narrative essay describing the engineering process...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Displacement Problem Set

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students calculate the length of a side of a triangle using a trigonometric function. They calculate the measure of an angle given two sides of a triangle with a trigonometric function.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Why Invent That?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students demonstrate an understanding of the text by completing an activity on the advantages and disadvantages of inventing and using a human-powered airplane.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Equation of State Problem Set

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars demonstrate their understanding of the equation of state by computing the gas constant from air properties. They use online research tools and apply integrated math problem-solving strategies to solve problems outside the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Airspeed Problem Set

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students demonstrate an understanding of aircraft launch airspeed requirements. They read a selection on relative velocities from a NASA Web-based textbook, then calculate airspeed launch requirement problems.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wing Area Effects Problem Set

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read an explanation from a NASA Web-based textbook on lift and an explanation on the FoilSim software package given below. They use FoilSim to evaluate the relationship between wing area and lift.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Velocity Effects Problem Set

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students, after reading an explanation on lift from a NASA Web-based textbook and an explanation on the FoilSim software package given below, use FoilSim to evaluate the relationship between velocity and lift.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Flight Dreams: Birds Flew First

For Teachers 4th - 6th
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....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Invention of the Parachute

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students study the invention of the parachute and how Leonardo da Vinci came up with the design.  In this aerodynamics instructional activity students test the properties that make parachutes more efficient.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wind Tunnel Aerodynamics Problem Set

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students, after reading an explanation from a NASA Web-based textbook, demonstrate an understanding of the text by applying it to the calculation of area, velocity, and pressure in a wind tunnel.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wind Tunnel

For Teachers K - 12th
Students examine how wind tunnels are used for research and development.  In this aerodynamics lesson students are given instructions on how to develop different types of wind tunnel.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kites of Japan

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers perform research into the designs of Japanese kites in order to appreciate them for their aerodynamic designs. The appreciation builds student interest in order to produce their own similar designs.
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Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

What is the Soul Cap and Why Was it Rejected for Olympic Use?

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
In 2021 the FINA, the International Swimming Federation, banned using Soul Caps in the Tokyo Olympics. Middle schoolers investigate why the committee made this decision and the resulting backlash, including charges of discrimination and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rocket Design: Aerodynamics, Trajectories

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers use science inquiry skills to build and launch a simple rocket, from several wooden launch pads of various angles, to determine what trajectory angle carry a rocket the greatest distance.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

100 Years of Flight

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students investigate Bernoulli's principle of air pressure and how it relates to the lift of an airplane. Students identify various Aeronautical vocabulary terms. Students construct a paper glider and experiment with the control surfaces...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Build Your Own Parachute

For Teachers 1st - 12th
Learners study the basics of parachuting.  In this flight and aerodynamics lesson students make a simple parachute and investigate different variables that can cause potential problems.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Calculating Range for a Constant Velocity

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students read an explanation from the NASA Web-based "textbook", The Beginner's Guide to Aerodynamics, then use the information in combination with data from other Web sites to solve single variable equations for distance (range), time,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Do Things Fall?

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students observe falling objects. They discover the rate of falling is based on air resistance and not the weight of the objects. They discuss how engineers use this type of information to design aerodynamic shapes.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rocket Physics

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Pupils investigate the relationship between impulse, momentum, kinetic and potential energy and aerodynamic drag. In this physics lesson, students calculate data taken from launching a rocket. They compare the theoretical and actual...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Science of Lance Armstrong

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Live Strong! High schoolers will discuss some of the reasons behind Lance Armstrong's success in cycling and chart those reasons into four categories: Physiology, Psychology, Equipment, Training/Strategy. They will then choose one sport...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Design a Bobsled

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students apply their knowledge of friction, drag, mass and gravity as they design, build, and test mini-bobsleds.
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Lesson Plan
NASA

The X-1 Paper Glider Kit

For Teachers 5th - 12th
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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