INFORM students that it is important to understand the basic principles of aeronautics to develop good questions that will help define our mission. Students will participate in a series of burst activities to learn about these principles.  

Direct the students to participate in Ball and funnel challenge to investigate the principle underlying lift. Students can specifically investigate Lift on an airplane wing. See explanation of Bernoulli's principle.

Have the students participate in paper airplane science activity. Teachers who want to vary the activity may consider the following options:

• Make one group stand farther back (models fight duration).
• Tape a stone on one group's plane (models weight vs. lift).
• Blow a fan near hoop (models weather).
• Raise and lower hoop (models altitude).
• Require one group to propel their plane with a rubber band (models thrust).
• Students should carefully observe all of the flights, record what happens, and begin to list the factors that need to be addressed to assure a successful flight.
  See Activity sheet: Observations of paper airplane flights (AW-2)
  

Direct the students to explore the four forces that may affect flight, complete the Activity sheet: Four forces (AW-3), read the page from the Student Journal entitled Understanding the four forces that can affect flight (AW-4 and 4A), and prepare to share their findings with the class.

Ask 

• What did you find on the web site that your team explored? 
• What are the forces that act on aircraft during flight? 
• Do all of the forces act on aircraft all of the time? To help kids understand when and how the different forces act upon aircraft, you may have to review the following page from the Student Journal entitled Understanding the four forces that can affect flight (AW-4 and 4A).

Optional activity: Four forces of flight

• Rotor Motor – download the .pdf file for Aeronautics - An Educator's Guide and follow the instructions on pp. 72-78.

• Right flight in Aeronautics - An Educator's Guide – download the .pdf file and follow the instructions and template on pp. 57-62.

Teacher resources:

• Additional Sample Experiments in Aerodynamics
• K-8 Principles of Aeronautics

Student activities:

• Ball and funnel challenge.
  
  

• Paper airplane activity:
  
  
  • Hang a 1-foot diameter needlepoint hoop from the ceiling in your classroom. Allow for the ability to raise or lower it quickly.
  • Separate the students into groups of two or three and have them construct a paper airplane.
  • Each group should be a given a turn to attempt to throw their paper airplane through the hoop.
  • Students should carefully observe all of the flights, record what happens, and begin to list the factors that need to be addressed to assure a successful flight.
    See Activity sheet: Observations of paper airplane flights (AW-2)
  • After each group takes its initial turn, begin to change the factors. You will be modeling various factors that real aviators and aeronautics scientists must consider.

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• Four forces and flight activity:
  
  
  • Break students into several teams. 
  • Have each team explore one of the following websites on the forces of flight: explanation 1  and explanation 2.
  • Have each team complete the Activity sheet: Four forces (AW-3) in their journals on the forces of flight, read the section entitled Understanding the four forces that can affect flight (AW-4 and 4A), and be prepared to discuss what they found on the sites they explored.