Learning (How) to Fly
9th Grade Aeronautics Module Overview
Topic: Investigating the concepts behind flight
Grade Level: 9
Course: Engineering Technology 1
Time Allotted for Module: 6 weeks
Prior Knowledge: Familiarity with middle school force and motion concepts such as: friction, mass,
potential and kinetic energy, force, acceleration, Newton’s laws, simple machines, measurement skills
and conservation of energy is needed. Basic math, algebra, and reading skills are necessary for all submodules.
Overview
In this unit students will use NASA-created materials, along with other public domain on-line resources,
to study the topic of aeronautics. First, students will diagram and identify the structure and function of
the various parts of an airplane, gaining an overview of the features involved in airplane motion. Next,
students will explore Bernoulli’s principle and Newton’s laws to understand the basic principles of flight,
going on to explore how the interplay of forces creates the motion of flight by examining the “tug of
war“ between the opposing forces of lift versus weight and thrust versus drag during horizontal flight.
Students will create free-body diagrams of the forces acting on an airplane, and compare and contrast
the three most common misconceptions regarding lift. Students will show what they have learned by
sharing a poster presentation at the end of the module.
Vocabulary
Aeronautics: The science of flight
Aileron: Surfaces designed to change roll
Drag: Drag is a force created by the friction of air against the skin of an airplane as it moves forward.
Drag affects more than just airplanes—you can feel it pushing back on your hand if you hold it
out the window of a moving car. In an airplane, drag increases as speed through the air
increases. Faster airplanes will have ways of pulling up their landing gear, among other things, to
reduce drag and increase speed.
Elevator: A surface designed to change pitch (up and down)
Flaps: Surfaces designed to change pitch and drag
Fuselage: The body of an airplane that holds things together and carries payload
Horizontal Stabilizer: Surfaces designed to control pitch
Jet Engine: A device that generates thrust
9th Grade Aeronautics Module Overview Page 1
Lift: Lift is the upward force created by the wing of an airplane. It is important because, without it,
airplanes would simply be very expensive cars—they would be able to roll around on the ground
but would never rise into the air. A wing generates lift, in part by deflecting air downwards and
in part due to the way air flows over its special shape.
Pitch: The up and down motion of the nose of the aircraft, controlled by elevators
Roll: The up and down movement of the wings, controlled by ailerons
Rudder: A surface designed to change yaw (side to side motion)
Slats: Surfaces designed to change lift
Spoiler: A surface that helps to change lift, drag and roll
Thrust: Thrust is a forward push or pull that accelerates an airplane and keeps it in flight at a constant
speed despite the slowing force of drag. Thrust comes from an airplane’s engine, be it a small
airplane with a propeller or a large airplane with a giant jet engine. Thrust is an important force,
as an airplane cannot fly without forward motion through the air.
Vertical Stabilizer: A surface designed to control yaw
Weight: Weight is the force of gravity acting on the mass of the airplane. It is what pulls an airplane
down towards the ground. Weight is helpful in making sure that an airplane does not float
around once it is parked; however, when an airplane flies it must overcome its weight to take to
the air.
Yaw: The side to side movement of the nose of the aircraft, often controlled by the rudder
Wing: A surface shaped to generate lift
Materials
Students should have their science notebooks
for every day.
DAY 1-5
Computer with Internet access
Colored pencils or markers
DAY 6-13
Computer access to Physics Classroom website
DAY 14-15
Air blower
Two rolls of toilet paper on a dowel
Soda straws (one straw cut in half for each
student, plus a few extra)
Small paper or plastic cups (a few more than
one for each student)
A regular (2.5 gallon) pail 2/3 filled with water
A sponge and roll of paper towels
Vegetable dye
Paper – 8.5 x 11 in. – enough for each student
to have a sheet. Should not have folds
or wrinkles, but may be “used”
otherwise
A dime
A transparent jar or beaker (at least 500 ml)
A smooth, flat tabletop
A wood or plastic spool for sewing thread (it is
okay if it still has thread on it)
A paper clip
A piece of paper or light cardboard about 2 ´ 2”
A piece of brightly colored heavy yarn 12 -18
inches long
An electric leaf blower ( One with a variable
speed is a plus) Its blower tube should
have a diameter of 2-3 inches, and a
length of about 2 feet.
A hollow rubber ball with a diameter of 2-3
inches
9th Grade Aeronautics Module Overview Page 2
A piece of brightly colored heavy yarn (see
experiment 4)
DAY 16-17
18” string
1 Pushpin
20g or 30g spring/pen scale
1 Pre-made electric propeller car (motor shaft
diameter 1/16”)
Batteries (as required)
3 - 4 Safety goggles (1 pair per child)
Clear protractor
1 Plastic propeller (balsa glider variety)
2 Eye screws (1/4”)
1 Dowel segment (5/8” x 3/16” with 1/16” hole)
Hot glue gun
Tape
Colored pencils or markers
DAY 18-20
The following makes one wind tunnel – you may
wish to make several one for each
group.
clear adhesive tape
Transparency film
Glue
Meter stick
Box window fan
Cardboard
Strong scissors
String
Duct tape
2 Chairs
Safety goggles
Colored pencils or markers
Elastic cord (from party hat)
(Optional) window screen
A selection of different wing shapes purchased
from a hobby shop
DAY 21-25
Computer access
Colored pencils or markers
DAY 25-30
Computer or library access for research
Colored pencils or markers
Poster board
Science Standards
Nature of Science, Standard 1: Practice of Science
SC.912.N.1.1 Define a problem based on a specific body of knowledge, for example: biology,
chemistry, physics, and earth/space science, and do the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
pose questions about the natural world,
conduct systematic observations,
examine books and other sources of information to see what is already known,
review what is known in light of empirical evidence,
plan investigations,
use tools to gather, analyze, and interpret data (this includes the use of
measurement in metric and other systems, and also the generation and
interpretation of graphical representations of data, including data tables and graphs),
pose answers, explanations, or descriptions of events,
generate explanations that explicate or describe natural phenomena (inferences),
use appropriate evidence and reasoning to justify these explanations to others,
communicate results of scientific investigations, and
evaluate the merits of the explanations produced by others
Physical Science, Standard 12: Motion
SC.912.P.12.2 Analyze the motion of an object in terms of its position, velocity, and acceleration (with
respect to a frame of reference) as functions of time.
9th Grade Aeronautics Module Overview Page 3
SC.912.P.12.3 Interpret and apply Newton's three laws of motion.
SC.912.P.12.4 Describe how the gravitational force between two objects depends on their masses and
the distance between them.
Math Standards
Algebra, Standard 1: Real and Complex Number Systems
MA.912.A.1.3 Simplify real number expressions using the laws of exponents
MA.912.A.1.5 Use dimensional (unit) analysis to perform conversions between units of measure,
including rates
Algebra, Standard 2: Relations and Functions
MA.912.A.2.7 Perform operations (addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication) of functions
algebraically, numerically, and graphically.
Algebra, Standard 5: Rational Expressions and Equations
MA.912.A.5.4 Solve algebraic proportions.
Geometry, Standard 7: Polyhedra and Other Solids
MA.912.G.7.7 Determine how changes in dimensions affect the surface area and volume of common
geometric solids.
MA.912.G.8.2 Use a variety of problem-solving strategies, such as drawing a diagram, making a chart,
guess-and-check, solving a simpler problem, writing an equation, and working
backwards.
MA.912.G.8.3 Determine whether a solution is reasonable in the context of the original situation.
References
Airplane Parts Definitions
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/airplane.html
AirplaneWings.pdf
http://www.dauntlesssoft.com/PRODUCTS/Freebies/Library/books/FLT/Chapter17/WingPlanform.htm[1/20/2010
Compare_contrast_GO.pdf (may be reproduced for classroom use only)
http://www.educationoasis.com
Conceptual_bermoulli.pdf
http://mypages.iit.edu/~zwicker/lesson5.htm
Flight Videos
http://wright.nasa.gov/webcast.htm
GO_4item CC.pdf (may be reproduced for classroom use only)
http://www.educationoasis.com
InThrustWeTrust.pdf
http://www.hiller.org/files/docs/InThrustWeTrust_v2.pdf
9th Grade Aeronautics Module Overview Page 4
MeasureOfAllThings.pdf
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/schedule/about/DONOTUSE_Tools_of_the_Aero
nautics_Trade_5-8.html
NASAwindtunnel.pdf
http://www.smokemachines.com/nasawtfs.htm
Newton123.pdf
teacher-created
Newton’s Laws Physics Classroom
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/newtlaws/
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Presentation Rubric.pdf
teacher-created
ProjectSpecs.pdf
teacher-created
Structure of an Airplane
http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/flight10.htm
Theories of Lift
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/lift1.html
Toilet Paper the Tree video
http://www.physics.umn.edu/outreach/pforce/circus/
videoquestions.pdf
teacher-created
Wingshape.pdf
http://www.dauntlesssoft.com/PRODUCTS/Freebies/Library/books/FLT/Chapter17/WingPlanform.htm
WorksheetFreeBodyDiagrams.pdf
teacher-created
9th Grade Aeronautics Module Overview Page 5