By now, the students have explored each force independently. They have even had a bit of experience on how lift and weight oppose each other, and how drag and thrust oppose each other. To fully understand flight, they need to explore how they all work together for, level, and extended flight. When do we want the forces to be balanced (cruising) and unbalanced (ascending, descending, speeding up, slowing down)?
Students should have opportunities to explore how the forces balance to ensure flight in a level direction. They should explore how the shape and mechanics of flying objects are created for the purpose of the flight. Why is the shape, wing size, and engine different in a cargo plane than a fighter jet? How is wing shape different in soaring birds (broader wing) vs gliding birds (long, narrow wing)?
Here are some resources you and the student can explore to investigate how the forces work together. They fit into the Nova Scotia Grade 6 Science Curriculum by exploring the outcome: Learners will evaluate factors that influence flight.
1) Game: Master the forces of flight to fly higher or faster.
howthingsfly.si.edu/activities/forces-flight
2)Website: Balanced forces. When do we want the forces on airplanes to be balanced or unbalanced?
www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/BGA/Tonya_Dyke/BalancedForces_ans.htm
3)Website: How Birds Fly. A great educational website describing how the forces of flight affect birds and what different wing shape means.
www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/303-how-birds-fly
4)Video: How do Planes Fly? All four forces of flight and how they work together to make the plane fly.
Students should have opportunities to explore how the forces balance to ensure flight in a level direction. They should explore how the shape and mechanics of flying objects are created for the purpose of the flight. Why is the shape, wing size, and engine different in a cargo plane than a fighter jet? How is wing shape different in soaring birds (broader wing) vs gliding birds (long, narrow wing)?
Here are some resources you and the student can explore to investigate how the forces work together. They fit into the Nova Scotia Grade 6 Science Curriculum by exploring the outcome: Learners will evaluate factors that influence flight.
1) Game: Master the forces of flight to fly higher or faster.
howthingsfly.si.edu/activities/forces-flight
2)Website: Balanced forces. When do we want the forces on airplanes to be balanced or unbalanced?
www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/BGA/Tonya_Dyke/BalancedForces_ans.htm
3)Website: How Birds Fly. A great educational website describing how the forces of flight affect birds and what different wing shape means.
www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/303-how-birds-fly
4)Video: How do Planes Fly? All four forces of flight and how they work together to make the plane fly.
5) NASA Document: Principles of Flight. Check out page 7 for information on how the four forces of flight work together.
www.hq.nasa.gov/office/aero/pdf/four_forces_5_8.pdf
6) Activity: Going the Distance. This is an activity created by me to experiment with making modifications to paper gliders and how it affects flight distance. What proportions of each force do we need to create a glider that travels as far as possible?
activity_-_going_the_distance.docx | |
File Size: | 16 kb |
File Type: | docx |