Curated OER
Model Rockets
Students build a model rocket. In this model rocket lesson, students explore a rocket launch cycle. Students investigate the laws of physics for each part of the launch. Students build model rockets and launch at school.
Curated OER
The Wright Brothers
In this online interactive Wright brothers worksheet, students respond to 8 fill in the blank and multiple choice questions regarding the information included in the provided paragraphs.
Curated OER
ESL Holiday Lessons: Aviation Day
In this language skills worksheet, students read an article regarding Aviation Day. Students respond to 6 matching questions, 29 fill in the blank questions, 30 multiple choice questions, 12 word scramble ...
Curated OER
Lift Relationships
Young scholars use FoilSim (downloadable) to determine how lift is affected by varying parameters on the Airfoil simulation.
Curated OER
Lift Equation Problem Set
Students, after reading an explanation from a NASA Web-based textbook, demonstrate an understanding of the text by using it, along with FoilSim, to complete an activity to graph and interpret the lift equation.
Technovation
Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Build a Lightweight Airplane Wing
A challenge for students to build a lightweight wing structure that is 12 inches long and can hold up a heavy load without deflecting. This site contains the challenge, a lesson plan, tips, and a place for students to document their...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Which Wing Design Creates the Greatest Lift?
Airplane wings do not all have the same design. With this Science Buddies project you can design your own wings to see which offers the greatest lift. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract,...
Smithsonian Institution
National Air and Space Museum: Wright Brothers: Engineering the Wright Way
Great interactive provides students with an opportunity to use engineering skills to design and test airplane wings based on the methods of the Wright brothers. Step into the workshop and design a set of wings that will fly your glider...
Michigan Reach Out
Nasa Trc: Flying Wing
In this lesson plan students can make a flying wing and trouble-shoot until the wing glides smoothly.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: May the Force Be With You: Lift
Students revisit Bernoulli's Principle (Lesson 1 of the Airplanes unit) and learn how engineers use this principle to design airplane wings. Airplane wings create lift by changing the pressure of the air around it. This is the first of...
NASA
Nasa: Flight: What Is Lift?
An explanation of the role lift plays in airplane take-off and flight.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Hoopster
Students create their own airplane using straws and other materials and learn the principles of aerodynamics.
The Franklin Institute
Franklin Institute Online: The Challenge of Flight
Think about the challenges that faced the Wright Brothers, then see if you can design and fly your own model aircraft. There are other sources provided to help you along the way.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Up, Up and Away! Airplanes
The airplanes unit begins with a lesson on how airplanes create lift, which involves a discussion of air pressure and how wings use Bernoulli's Principle to change air pressure. Following the lessons on lift, students explore the other...
Technovation
Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Engineer an Airfoil
Do you know how an airplane flys? Use this challenge to learn about flight by building a wing that can generate lift from a fan while carrying weight. Find details about the challenge, tips, and a lesson plan on this site. Also, students...
Michigan Reach Out
Nasa Trc: Maple Seed Helicopters
Students study the aerodynamic properties of a maple seed and then apply what they observe making their own flying object.
Treehut
Suzy's World: Aerodynamics
Use this fact sheet to find out what makes things fly with this fact sheet on aerodynamics.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Are You in Control?
This lesson teaches the engineering method for testing wherein one variable is changed while the others are held constant. Learners compare the performance of a single paper airplane design while changing the shape, size and position of...
Other
Ken Blackburn: Paper Airplanes
Information on paper airplane designs, history, and contests. Click on "Paper Airplane Aerodynamics" for an analysis of the world record holding paper airplane design.