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Aerospace/Aeronautical Engineering: Build a Paper Airplane
Students brainstorm what it is like to fly on an airplane and discuss the parts of a plane. Students construct a paper plane of their own, decorate it, have a competition, and discuss the importance of each part of a plane and the role...
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Features and Limits of Aircraft Design
Students identify the desired features of an aircraft and the limits that they, the Wright Brothers, or NASA scientists might face in designing one, and methods to solve these. They review parts of an airplane and what makes it fly. They...
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Problems and Solutions in Aircraft Design
Students watch demonstrations of paper folded designs that do and do not fly and discuss their observations. They identify problems that they, the Wright Brothers, or NASA scientists face when designing an aircraft, and identify...
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Testing and Refining Aircraft Design
Young scholars design and make a flying device. They work in small groups to brainstorm ideas for the design of their device. They choose an idea or combination of ideas to use for their design and create a sketch of their design. The...
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Criteria and Constraints in Aircraft Design
Students investigate criteria and constraints for designing any aircraft. They define these terms and categorize a series of examples of both. Using the constraints and criteria set before them, they design and construct airplanes in...
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Lift and Launch Angle
Students engage in a hands-on experiment to determine how launch angles affect airflow around the wing of an aircraft. They view a series of photographs and read information describing the Wright Brothers' experiences. They complete a...
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Aircraft vs. Spacecraft
High schoolers investigate differences between aircraft and spacecraft, and the differences in propulsion systems. They build pinwheel airplanes and balloon rockets. An interactive activity quizzes students on thrust.
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Women in Space
Pupils read biographies of women who have made contributions to field of aerospace and aeronautics, choose one woman to research, and present their findings to classmates in form of essay, play, poster, or presentation.
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Untitled Document Aerospace Team Online:
Students explain the historical significance of use of the scientific method in developing the first airplane and appreciate the process involved in developing a new technology.
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A Clasroom Study of the Life of an Airplane
High schoolers participate in an experiment to discover the properties of lift. They work together to complete calculations and collect data. They share their results with the class.
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Up, Up, and Away
Students investigate the laws of physics that govern the flight of helicopters and airplanes. They build and launch a model rotor, simulating rotors used on helicopters to provide lift.
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The Aspect Ratio of Wings
Junior engineers examine aspect ration in airplane wings. Using the length and width of two differetn wings, they calculate the aspect ratios and compare drag rankings. An engineering or space science class would benefit from this...
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What Makes Thing Fly?
Second graders study lift, drag and thrust from a real flight instructor. In this physical science lesson students build and fly paper airplanes and experiment with variations and design.
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A New Century Of Flight
Students analyze an article about fight traffic and answer questions. In this investigative lesson students study flight and fill out a worksheet pertaining to the information that they just learned.
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Balloon Rockets
Students build pinwheel airplanes and balloon rockets to determine which ones fly faster and which fly farther.
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Our Amazing, Powerful Sun
Learners examine where energy comes from and how it can be used. In this solar energy lesson students explore different aspects of the sun.
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From Future Flight to Past Flight
Students complete a set of CD-ROM's to introduce them to the flight program at NASA. In groups, they research a topic related to flight and put their information on a CD-ROM. To end the lesson, they share their material with other...
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Catapults!
Students work together to discover the relationship between the angle of catapults and the flight of different objects. They discover the heavier the object the more force is needed. They examine how engineers use this information to...