The activities provided throughout this online learning resource are designed to be hands-on and minds-on. The students will be active in their learning by conducting experiments, making observations, asking questions, and seeking answers. The goal is for students to explore their natural curiosity, learning through investigation, inquiry, and discovery. What better place for this than the comfort of their own home!
What will they learn? From the Nova Scotia Science Curriculum Document: “Learners will explore the science and technology involved in flight as they investigate how things fly and develop and test a variety of prototype devices. A comparison of the characteristics of flight for living and non-living things will provide a foundation for the investigation of forces involved in flight. Learners will test flying devices for design, lift, movement and control.” By participating in the activities provided, students will be engaged in rich learning experiences to help them understand aerodynamics and the forces of flight (drag, lift, weight, thrust). I have split these four forces into separate pages to explore. Each page offers activities, experiments, videos, and other teaching resources for the respective force. I have also included a page for bringing all of the forces together. The proportions of these forces have to be just right for sustained flight, so the students should investigate how they work together. The intention is not to have the student complete all activities provided, but for you to choose which ones are best suited for you and the student. The curriculum outcome these activities address from the Nova Scotia Grade 6 Curriculum Guide is: Learning Outcome: Learners will evaluate factors that influence flight. Indicators (How will they do it?):
Some guiding questions need to be addressed when exploring these activities to meet curriculum standards. You don't have to cover them all at once, but make sure you think about each of these questions at least once through your exploration of flight. They are: ▪ How do flying living things compare with flying non-living things? ▪ How can the principles of flight be demonstrated/seen? ▪ How are forces balanced in a flying object? ▪ How is floating different from flying? ▪ How can I test a flying device? ▪ How can I improve the performance of a flying device? The time you spend learning this unit is up to you. However, to ensure the student stays engaged and motivated in their learning, I would suggest limiting the learning sessions to an hour each and done every day until completed. My suggestion is to follow this progression while taking on this unique learning experience: Day 1: Introduction to flight Day 2: Weight/Gravity Day 3: Lift Day 4: Drag Day 5: Thrust Day 6: Bringing them all together How will you know if they have learned? The purpose of this learning resource is not to drill students with information and then test them on what they've learned. Don't think of it like home-schooling! We want students to engage with the activities and gain valuable experiences through discovery. For that reason, you will not see any quizzes or tests. You will know the students have learned if they are engaging with the activities, asking relevant questions, thinking critically, and if they seek answers and respond to thought-provoking questions. Talk with them and ask them what they are experiencing and learning. You will know if they are on the right track or if they need a little more time and encouragement. This learning resource is designed to provide you with fun and educational activities you can do with your children at home. If you are interested in a structured unit plan with detailed lesson plans (a more "formal" learning experience), please feel free to download my at-home flight unit plan below. |
home_learning_unit_plan_-_flight_final.docx |