Smithsonian Institution
African American Pioneers in Aviation
Bessie Coleman. William Powell. Willa Brown. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. While these names may not be familiar to many Americans, they are African American pioneers in aviation history. Class members have an opportunity to research the...
Teach Engineering
Airplanes Everywhere: Land! Water! Sky! Oh, My!
How important is aviation? Using the background information, teachers provide the class with a brief history of aviation. The class discusses how airplanes are important to the area of transportation in the 17th installment of a...
Curated OER
It's Aviation Awareness Week!
There are easy ways to incorporate activities related to Aviation History Month in your classroom.
Curated OER
Milestones of Flight
Discover seven of the most historic aircraft and spacecraft in the collections of the National Air and Space Museum. By research into the major milestones of aviation history your students will recognize features that enable flight,...
Osage County Interlocal Cooperative
Flight: 100 Years of Aviation
A 12-lesson unit traces the development of aviation from the Wright brothers flight at Kitty Hawk to Amelia Earhart's around the world journey, to Mercury 13.
Macmillan Education
Women's History Month Activity Kit
Boost reading comprehension and shed light on famous women of history with books and learning activities, which include a board game, word search, crossword puzzle, and a quiz.
Curated OER
Legends of Airpower: Aviation-Then, Now and Here
Students examine the advancements made in aviation during and since WWII. They read an interview with Charles McGee, research a plane, build a model of a plane, and develop a Powerpoint presentation about aircraft.
Curated OER
African Americans in Aviation: The 1940s- A Decade of Change
Learners investigate African Americans in aviation. In this primary resources lesson, students examine primary resources to research the history of African American in aviation. Learners answer two research questions and write an essay...
Curated OER
Symmetry in Paper Airplanes
Students explore symmetry. In this geometry and scientific inquiry instructional activity, students design paper airplanes with middle line symmetry, as well as right, obtuse, and acute angles. Students measure the plane's angles using...
Curated OER
Orville and Wilbur Wong and the Fantastic Flying Machines
Upper elementary and middle schoolers examine the role of Chinese immigrants in America. They investigate literature, history and cultures of Chinese-Americans. This ambitious plan takes two weeks to complete, and it brings in elements...
Curated OER
Milestones of Flight
Students identify significant milestones in the history of flight. In this aviation history lesson plan, students study various resource materials and construct timelines of significant achievements.
Teach Engineering
Will It Fly?
Go fly a kite, then fly a plane! The 19th part of a 22-part unit on aviation looks at the way kites and gliders help aid in the understanding of flight. Pupils discuss how engineers used kites to influence airplane designs.
Curated OER
Flying High in Ohio
Her is a lesson using the Ohio State Quarter. Pupils utilize beautifully-designed worksheets embedded in the plan, to study about the origins of aviation. Many of the pioneers of aviation were born in Ohio. They compare some of the...
Curated OER
The Physics of Flight
Three activities allow young flight engineers to understand the 4 principles of flight (weight, lift, thrust, and drag), to construct a glider, and to create a propeller. Multicultural history and literature are integrated by reading...
Curated OER
Stories of the Wrights' Flights
Students examine primary sources to understand the work of Wright Brothers. In this aviation history lesson, students study how primary documents and images are analyzed and write essays about the signifcance of primary soures in the...
Curated OER
History of Flight Timeline Activity
Scholars are introduced to the significant events that led to the development of today's modern forms of air travel. They create a timeline to identify the vital events that are related to man's flight. In addition, they research various...
Curated OER
Airplanes and Airports: How To Take Off Without Ever Leaving the Ground
Students plan an airport visit. In this Airplanes and Airports lesson, students observe the people, activity, and machinery at airports. Then students compare the characteristics of their observations at the airport. Students make...
Curated OER
Beginning with Inquiry
Students examine several photographs of famous early aviators. They discuss the details of the photographs and generate questions that they would like to research as they begin a unit on early aviation.
Curated OER
Wright Again: 100 Years of Flight
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...
NASA
The Wright Quest
A very impressive lesson plan on the Wright brothers and their place in aviation history. Learners discover many fascinating facts about the Wright brothers and their trials and errors regarding flight. Best of all, they get to build a...
Curated OER
Women In Aviation
In this aviation lesson, students take an electronic field trip to the Aviation Museum of Kentucjy. In the process the lesson looks at women in aviation history. The focus is upon how they could be considered heroes or role models. The...
Curated OER
Aviation History/Writing and Forensic Science
For this aviation lesson, students research Charles Augustus Lindbergh and other early aviators and their flying machines. They then write a letter to one of the aviators asking questions about the mechanics of flight and their flying...
Curated OER
Early Attempts at Flight
Young scholars investigate the early history of flight. In this aviation history lesson, students are split into six groups to research the development of the ornithopter, hot air balloon and the glider. Each group records information on...
Curated OER
Airplane Manufacturing in Kansas
Seventh graders determine how Kansas become a producer of airplanes. In this Kansas history lesson, 7th graders read selected Read Kansas! cards and articles. Students then discuss the primary sources they read regarding Wichita's growth...