Flight

Task 1     Task 2     Task 3     Task 4    Task 5

Please fasten your seat belts and put your seats in their original upright position.  We are about to take off on an aviation excursion across the century.  We will learn about birds, balloons, blimps and all types of aircraft.  We will discover how things fly and find out about the people who fly them.  There is lots of oxygen here and the ceiling and visibility are unlimited so we can explore for many weeks.  You are cleared for takeoff...

Have you ever wondered how a plane stays in the air even when it weighs thousands of kilograms ?  Have you ever looked at birds in flight and pondered how they manage to fly when we can't? You would not be the first to ever wonder about these things. 

From the beginning of time people have wondered  how things fly.  Primitive people wondered why birds and animals could fly.  Over time our ancestors examined these things and quickly understood that if we were to study the principles of flight we might be able to fly also.

In this project, you will explore many of these principles of flight and  even take a closer look at some of the early explorers in this amazing field of science.  Through this project you will be introduced to some of the many challenges that earlier explorers had to overcome. 

As you work through this project you will become experts in the science of flight.   

 

Task 1:

How do birds fly?

Identify adaptations that enable birds to fly. You and your partner will read about adaptations birds have that enable them to fly. Create a poster titled "How Birds Fly" using MS Word (label the various adaptations). See Evaluation
 The Ability to Fly
How Do Things Fly?
Birds in Flight Fantastic non-blurred photos of birds in flight!
On the Flight of Birds
Flapping-Wing Flight in Birds Dynamics of flight as well as the unique characteristics that allow a bird to fly.

Task 2

Paper Planes

Like making paper planes? Students click on the link below and undertake the following activity

Paper plane activity

Want More Paper Planes

Unusual Paper Airplanes is an interesting site explaining the construction of a variety of unusual paper airplanes.  Four different types are illustrated.

Task 3

Your project will involve the following three components:

Researching and taking notes using electronic sources

Working collaboratively with a partner

Preparing a class Presentation

 

Create a webpage using FrontPage to display your information. Include hand drawn and scan diagrams to support your information.

  1. Discuss and explain how the four forces of flight (thrust, lift, gravity/weight, and drag)  help in the process of flight.

  2. Research and Explain Bernoulli's principle by doing a simple class experiment.

  3. Present a Inspiration Diagram to show similarities and differences between how birds and airplanes fly. Save this as a JPEG and include it in you webpage.

  4. What aircraft is your favourite ? Use the websites below to research and find information about this aircraft.

  5. Present a concept map outlining the parts and the functions of an airplane.

Links
 Forces on an Airplane 
Four forces on a plane
Learning About Air and Flight
How things fly 
How Planes Fly 
Dynamics of Flight
Thrill of Flight (check out hangar #3)

 
Topics

Leonardo DaVinci – Ornithopters

 

http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/wings2.htm

http://tqjunior.thinkquest.org/4027/

 

Montgolfier Balloon

 

http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/balloon2.htm

http://www.nmsi.ac.uk/on-line/flight/flight/mont.htm

 

"New Flyer" George Cayley

*Note you may have trouble scrolling on the first flight website just get whatever information you can from it.

http://firstflight.open.ac.uk

http://hawaii.psychology.msstate.edu/invent/i/Cayley/Cayley.html

 

Otto Lilienthal – Gilder

 

*Note you may have trouble scrolling on the first flight website just get whatever information you can from it.

http://firstflight.open.ac.uk

http://www.aviation-history.com/early/index-early.html

 

Samuel Langley – The Langley Aredrome

http://www.aviation-history.com/early/index-early.html

Wright Brothers Flyer

*Note you may have trouble scrolling on the first flight website just get whatever information you can from it.

http://www.nasm.edu/galleries/gal100/gal100.html

http://firstflight.open.ac.uk

Stantos Dumont – The Stantos-Dumont Canard

*Note you may have trouble scrolling on the first flight website just get whatever information you can from it.

http://www.aviation-history.com/early/index-early.html

http://firstflight.open.ac.uk

 

Samuel Cody - British Army Aeroplane No. 1

*Note you may have trouble scrolling on the first flight website just get whatever information you can from it.

http://firstflight.open.ac.uk

http://www.dera.gov.uk/html/whoweare/history/samuel_franklin_cody_1867_1913.htm

 

Goddard Rockets

http://www.nasm.edu/galleries/gal100/gal100.html

http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/goddard.htm

 

Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis"

http://www.nasm.edu/galleries/gal100/gal100.html

http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/lindbergh2.htm

 

Amelia Earhart

http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/earhart1.htm

 

Bell XP-59A Airacomet

http://www.nasm.edu/galleries/gal100/gal100.html

 

Bell X-1 "Glammorous Glennis"

http://www.nasm.edu/galleries/gal100/gal100.html

http://tqjunior.thinkquest.org/4027/

 

Sputnik 1 (USSR)

http://www.nasm.edu/galleries/gal100/gal100.html

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/sputnik/

http://www.nytimes.com/partners/aol/special/sputnik/

 

Explorer 1 (US)

http://www.nasm.edu/galleries/gal100/gal100.html

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/sputnik/expinfo.html

 

Mariner 2

http://www.nasm.edu/galleries/gal100/gal100.html

 

 Mercury "Friendship 7"

http://www.nasm.edu/galleries/gal100/gal100.html

 

Gemini IV

http://www.nasm.edu/galleries/gal100/gal100.html

 

North American X-15

http://www.nasm.edu/galleries/gal100/gal100.html

 

"Columbia" Apollo Command Module

http://www.nasm.edu/galleries/gal100/gal100.html

 

Viking Lander

http://www.nasm.edu/galleries/gal100/gal100.html

 

Pioneer 10

http://www.nasm.edu/galleries/gal100/gal100.html

 

Breitling Orbiter 3 Gondola

http://www.nasm.edu/galleries/gal100/gal100.html

http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/breitling.htm

Task 4

Plane math's activities

http://www.planemath.com/activities/pmactivitiesall.html

Students and teachers this is a fantastic website with amazing activities to engage students.

  1. Students undertake the 9 Applying flying activities and record your results.
    1. Flight Plan
    2. Bird's Eye View
    3. Pie In The Sky
    4. Plane Capacity
    5. Liftoff
    6. Go Fly a Kite
    7. Runways and Takeoffs
    8. Time Flies
    9. Fill'Er Up
  2. View the Pioneer Plane movie and undertake the two challenges. Amelia Earhart "Gone With The Winds" and  Jimmy Doolittle "Mission Impossible".
    1. Make sure your group has a copy of the Amelia Earhart worksheet.
    2. Record information on data obtained in Pioneer Program Guide.
    3. Training will commence with Pioneer Plane. Go Now!
    4. Follow pilot Tim's instructions.
    5. When movie is complete, advance to activity.
    6. Record your flight plan for 10 attempts in Explorer Mode.
    7. Data should include degree of accuracy for reaching the Howland Islands 10 times.
    8. If time allows, you may continue in Challenge Mode.
  3. Plane Math's Enterprises. Visit each of our 8 training departments. What are they? After you complete your training, you can go to the Design Department to receive your first project. Can you build and design a Plane for a customer? Print out your page if your customer buys your airplane?

Task 5

Famous Avaitors

Use the web sites below to uncover the fascinating facts about the famous aviators of the past. Create a Poster ,webpage and Flash animation report based on one particular milestone of flight. Report back to the class with your information.

Research Questions

In order to make your report informative answer as many of the following questions as you can (use the Research Questions sheet given to you to write down the answers). Please remember these questions are GUIDELINES to help you with your research - do not worry about answering in order. It may benefit your project to use more than one site.

1. My topic is _______________

2. What was created/invented? Or what was the major accomplishment?

3. Date(s) or Time Period

4. Who was involved? What did they do?

5. Give details about the milestone (i.e. what was the invention made of, measurements).

6. How does the invention work?

7. What was remarkable about this milestone?

8. Were there any problems with the invention?

9. Other interesting facts about the milestone.

On the list below find your topic. Click on the site below it to begin your research. After using the site indicated, the resources section also has some other ideas for finding more information on your topic.

Famous Aviators Resources 


Leonardo da Vinci

    Although he is known more for his art, he was also an inventor.  Find out why Leonardo de Vinci can be linked to flight.

Montogolfier Brothers

    Up, up, and away.  Find out how these famous brothers contributed to flight in their time period.

Sir George Cayley

    Without his contributions we might still be on the ground.  Find out how his investigations influenced flight.

      http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/cayley.htm

      http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/History/history_flight/slide1.html 
 

The Wright Brothers

    Orville and Wilbur are famous names indeed.  Uncover what they learned from toys and how they contributed to flight. 

      http://www.fi.edu/flights

      http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/wright/ 
 

Charles Lindberg

    Lindbergh's "spirit" was a great contribution.  Uncover the "spirit" of his

        contributions to flight.

      www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/lindbergh/index.html

      http://www.dot.state.mn.us/aero/aved/publications/skyslimit/lindbergh.html 
 

Amelia Earhart

    Amelia Earhart set many aeronautical records.  Discover the records she set and enjoy the adventures of Amelia.

Bessie Coleman

    Bessie Coleman became a licensed pilot in a country other than the country she was born in.

      http://ninety-nines.org/bios.html

      www.bessiecoleman.com 
 

Chuck Yeager

    Sound off....Find out what sound has to do with Chuck Yeager�s contribution to flight.

      http://www.nationalgeographic.com/sound/speed.html

      http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/x1/yeagphoto.html

Additional Flights

There are many other famous aviators that can be accessed by websites below. 
 

Chasing the Sun

      http://www.pbs.org/kcet/chasingthesun/timeline/1900.html

      History of commercial aviation as seen through the eyes of its aviators 
 

The Ninety-Nines

      http://ninety-nines.org/bios.html 
 

Famous Aviators Hall of Fame

      http://www.firstflightnc.com/links.cfm 
 

 

Test your knowledge of aeronautics- play the plane game. Record your score on your previous assignment.

 HTML web based version of The Plane Game

History

http://www.flight-history.com/

Meet the Wright Brothers. Great for younger students

http://www.pocanticohills.org/wright/wright.htm

Informative
Ken's Paper Airplanes
200 Websites
Flights of Fancy
Resource2 in Groups
More Sites
3-D Planes
Plane Project
Wright Brothers
 

Hands On Activities
Model Paper Airplanes
Exploratorium
Aerogami
Yes Mag Fliers
Airplanes and Paper Clips

Paper Airplane Challenge

Wright Scavenger Hunt
Kool Paper Airplanes