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Event Catalog

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Exploring Aeronautics

Target Audience
  • Students
Hosting Center(s)
  • Dryden Flight Research Center
Subject Category
  • Physical Science
  • Math
Unit Correlation
  • Exploring Engineering and Technology
Grade Level
  • 5-8
Minimum Delivery Time
  • 030 min(s)
Maximum Connection Time
  • 050 min(s)
Event Focus

Have you ever wondered how aeronautics evolved past the imitation of birds?

 
Description

“Why can birds fly and we can’t?” People living as far back in time as the cave dwellers asked this same question as they watched birds swoop and soar. The desire to challenge gravity and experience the freedom of flight made early attempts of understanding the mysteries of flight possible. The early cave dwellers discovered fire, and ironically, this discovery would play a large role in our first flight. Fire and flight changed the way we lived forever.

 
Instructional Objectives  

Engage

Learners will Create (individually or as a group) a timeline of the history of flight using pictures and short summaries that chronicle the events in the history of flight.

Explore

Learners will understand the principles of flight, obtain a historical perspective of flight, and recognize the different types of aircraft.

Learners will design model paper airplanes based on prior knowledge of how to make paper airplanes fly.

Explain

Learners will identify aspects of flight control and the four forces of flight.

Elaborate

Learners will relate the principles of flight to their paper airplane design.

Evaluate

Learners will explain Bernoulli’s Principle as it relates to flight and synthesize a rationale for a new (improved) paper airplane design.

 
 

Sequence of Events

 
Pre-Conference Activities
 

Students will create (individually or as a group) a timeline of the history of flight using pictures and short summaries that chronicle the events in the history of flight that led to the first manned flight and beyond. This can be accomplished using paper/pencil/poster board or it can be done digitally using www.Timerime.com.

X-1

X-15

Lunar Lander Research Vehicle LLRV

Lifting Body

747/Shuttle Enterprise

Helios

X-43A Hyper X

Scramjet Engine

Conventional Jet Engine

SOFIA

Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle-UAV

Ikahana

Global Hawk

X-48B

 
Videoconference Activities
 

Students in grades 5-8 will participate in a hands-on activity called “Designed for Fight” in which students will design and fly a paper airplane. The module coordinator will provide the instructions and an example for this activity. The coordinator will then provide students with an interactive PowerPoint presentation that engages the students in the principles of flight, the history of flight and its evolution, the axes of flight, flight control, and the four forces of flight. Specific NASA centers may be highlighted throughout the event based on its contribution to flight and flight research. The students will then be given opportunities to re-design their airplanes based on their gained knowledge regarding flight throughout the event.

Please download the "Designed for Flight" Paper Airplane file for the activity.

   

 
Post-Conference Activities
 

   

 

Standards

 
 

National Standards: NSTA Science Content Standards

(5-8)

SCIENCE AS INQUIRY CONTENT STANDARD A:

•     Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry

•     Understanding scientific inquiry

PHYSICAL SCIENCE CONTENT STANDARD B:

•     Motion and Forces

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CONTENT STANDARD E:

•     Understanding about Science and technology

•     Abilities of technological design

SCIENCE IN PERSONAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES CONTENT STANDARD F:

•     Science and technology in Society

 
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