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Centennial of Flight:
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with permission from Nick Engler |
Students will identify problems that they, the Wright Brothers, or NASA scientists face when designing an aircraft, and will identify solutions to these.
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Prerequisite Concepts |
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| Transportation: Objects that move people and materials from place to place. |
Activity: Ask students the following questions to help them understand transportation:
Explain that these are all types of transportation. |
| Flight: Moving through the air or outer space without touching the ground for a long time. |
Links:
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Day 1 |
30 minutes | Engage Section |
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Day 2 |
45 minutes | Explore Section |
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Day 3-4 |
90 minutes | Explain Section |
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Day 5 |
45 minutes | Prior to the Webcast/Chat |
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Day 6 |
60 minutes | Webcast/Chat |
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Day 7 |
30 minutes | After the Webcast/Chat |
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Day 8-10 |
2 hours and 15 minutes | Extend Section |
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Day 11-12 |
60 minutes | Evaluate Section |
Four or more paper airplane designs that do not fly well Links to instructions for folding simple paper airplanes:
Class set of paper for paper airplanes to be made by students (optional)
Fortunately, by Remy Charlip Available through:
Class set of paper for storybooks
Class set of Generic Rubric (for storybook activity)
1. Ask the students if they have ever flown in an airplane. Have the students share some of their experiences with flying.
2. Have the students explain how they think flying helps people.
3. Ask the students what they think life would be like without airplanes. Have them explain their answers.
4. Explain to the students that people have been able to fly in airplanes for almost 100 years and that the class is going to celebrate by spending some time learning about flight and about people who made flying possible. Note to teacher: For older students, explain that December 2003 will mark the centennial or 100th anniversary of the first powered flight by the Wright Brothers.
5. Explain to the students that today they are going to look at paper designs that don't fly. Ask them to look for problems with the paper designs and to think about how these problems might be solved so that the designs will fly. Note to teacher: The paper airplanes that you made before the lesson are being called paper designs due to the fact that they do not fly.
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1. Show students the four paper designs that you made before this lesson that do not fly. Make sure the planes are very different from each other. You may want to use different colors or write a large number on each plane. Note to teacher: Ideas for different plane designs:
A piece of paper folded "hot dog" style with no wings
A simple paper airplane that was not folded exactly in half, so that it is lop-sided
A simple paper airplane with the nose folded in a way that makes the plane too heavy
Links to instructions for folding simple paper airplanes
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/WindTunnel/Activities/foldairplane.html
http://edu.larc.nasa.gov/fdprint/a9.html
http://www.exploratorium.edu/exploring/paper/airplanes.html
2. Write the colors or numbers of the plane designs on the board. Have the students describe each plane design. Record their descriptions on the board under the correct plane.
3. Once each plane design has been described, attempt to fly the plane designs one at a time in the classroom, gym, or outside.
4. After the students have watched each plane designs, have the students describe any problems with the plane designs. Record these problems on the board, preferably in a different color. This will allow the students to see a description of the plane design in front of them as well as the problems with each plane design. Note to teacher: Try to focus the students' attention on problems with flying. Some students may suggest problems with the color of the paper, size of paper, etc.
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1. Have the students break up into small groups. Assign a design to each group. Explain to the students that they will be the expert scientists on the plane design they were assigned.
2. Have the students brainstorm and draw/record solutions to the problems. Have the model planes that you flew for demonstration available for the students to look at during their small group discussions.
3. Encourage the students to listen with respect to their classmates' ideas. Variation: Depending on grade level and time, the students could make their own plane that solves the problems their model plane design had. When sharing with the class, the students could test fly their plane.
4. After the small group discussions, have the class discuss each plane design. The groups who were the expert scientists on each plane design should share their ideas for solving the problems.
5. Once the expert scientists have had a chance to share on their own projects, ask the other students in the class to share any solutions or comments they have.
6. Once all of the plane designs have been discussed, lead a discussion using the following questions: What were the main problems that the paper designs had?
Was it difficult to come up with solutions to the problems? Why or why not?
Did the problems have more than one solution?
How did your group come up with solutions? Did all/many of the students in the group come up with solutions or did one student come up with all of the solutions?
Were any of the ideas not possible to use because you didnŐt have the materials, money, space, or time?
Do you think it is important to have many solutions to choose from when solving a problem?
Were some of the solutions better than others? Why or why not?
MISCONCEPTION: This discussion is important because it brings out the misconception that there is only one solution to each problem.
7. Explain to the students that they will be participating in a webcast/chat where they can ask scientists about problems they have when designing airplanes and how they solve the problems.
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Have the students become knowledgeable about the scientists they will be talking to by reading their bios. Then discuss with the students the main focus for the webcast/chat. This can be found on the Event Page. The webcasts/chats will focus on NASA's role in the history of flight and methods and processes used by the Wright Brothers and by NASA personnel in aircraft design. Students should prepare questions on these topics, as well as questions about problems and solutions NASA personnel encounter in design, and who they are as people.
See NASA Occupations Chat Lesson Explore Section for specific information on how to prepare students for the webcast/chat. Note to teacher: The first bullet of the Explore Section is not pertinent can be skipped.
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Have students focus on the problems and solutions discussed by the scientists during the webcast/chat. This will be helpful for completing the Extend activity.
See NASA Occupations Chat Lesson Explain Section for specific information on participating in the webcast/chat and how to keep your students engaged during the webcast/chat.
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Discuss with students the information included in the webcast/chat. Have the students share the problems and solutions discussed during the webcast/chat. Make a list on the board of these problems and solutions. Lead a discussion using the following questions:
See NASA Occupations Chat Lesson Extend/Apply Section for specific information on how to facilitate a follow-up discussion after a webcast/chat.
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Unfortunately/Fortunately Book:
1. Read the book, Fortunately, by Remy Charlip to the students.
2. Ask the students to explain the main parts of the story.
3. Ask the students what they would have done if they were Ned. Would they have kept trying like Ned? Would they have gotten upset and given up? Discuss with the students the problems that Ned had and how he solved these problems. Note to teacher: For example, Ned ran into a cave which was a problem, but he solved the problem by digging out of the cave.
4. Once the students have a good understanding of the story, ask them to think about the connections between this story and the information they learned about the Wright Brothers, NASA scientists, and/or themselves when working with the paper designs. Note to the teacher: It is important to help the students realize that the people they learned about, such as the Wright Brothers, did not give up. Their road to making the first power-driven flyer was not easy, but they kept at it until they accomplished their goal.
5. Discuss these connections between the story and the information they have learned about for the Wright Brothers, NASA scientists, and/or themselves when working with the paper designs. Discuss not only the qualities these people had, such as determination, but also the tools and methods they had to use to accomplish their goal. This discussion can take place with the entire class, or the students can be broken up into small groups and then share their ideas with the class.
6. Individually or in partners, have the students brainstorm and make a list of unfortunate things or problems that happened to the Wright Brothers, NASA scientists, or the students. Then have them brainstorm a list of obstacles, especially limits or special features they had to account for or unfortunate things that they had to overcome.
7. Using the ideas they listed, the students should make a storybook in the same format as the book, Fortunately, in which a problem or obstacle is presented with a statement that begins with "Unfortunately," and is solved with a statement beginning with "Fortunately." Depending on the material covered in class, as well as the webcasts that the students participated in, the book can focus on problems and solutions encountered by the Wright Brothers, NASA scientists, or the students.
8. Explain to the students that the books should include neatly colored pictures and should end with a fortunate thing that happened. Note to the teacher: Depending on time and grade level, you may want to give a minimum and maximum number of pages which the storybook can include.
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1. Once the students have completed their storybooks, have the students read their books aloud to the class. If time does not allow for this, the students could be broken up into small groups to share the books within their groups.
2. After the students share their books with the class or small groups, discuss with the students the new information they learned about flying and about people who made flying possible. The next time the students see or ride in an airplane ask them to think about all the problems that had to be solved for flying to be possible. Ask the students if they are more thankful for airplanes now than they were before completing this lesson. Have them explain their answers.
3. Evaluate the story books. Use the generic rubric provided to evaluate them.
4. Display the students' completed storybooks.
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