How Things Fly

The Doppler effect is demonstrated in your physical science class with the included instructions. The directions call for a watch, which most kids do not wear, so consider gathering a class set of stopwatches to set alarms off for the...

Seventh graders describe how the traits of an organism are passed from generation to generation. They distinguish between asexual and sexul reproduction. Students identify traits through genes and those resulting from interactions with...

In this paper helicopter worksheet, students design and experiment making a paper helicopter to explore how some things fall and how varying the size of the rotor blades affect the way a helicopter spins.

Imagine a reptile the size of a giraffe that flies across oceans. This reptile, quetzalcoatlus, existed, and scientists continue to learn more about this fascinating creature. The video, part of the Eons series, explains where the...

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...

Students will examine the physics of flight through using experimental inquiry. In this lesson, you'll introduce your students to the four forces of flight--drag, lift, thrust, and weight--through a variety of fun-filled flight...

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.

Being able to absorb the abilities of other life forms may seem like something taken from a superhero movie, but sometimes reality is stranger than fiction. Join the narrator as he takes viewers back billions of years to investigate how...

Students research the mechanics of flight and create a slideshow with one slide dedicated to each of these topics: lift, drag, thrust, and weight. They create a short quiz regarding the material that they presented and give it to their...

Learners, by drawing on their own experiences, discuss and examine the basic physics of flight. They participate in a variety of activities regarding flight.