Fun Aviation Science – Free Resource Materials!

August 5th, 2003 by ClickSchooling Leave a reply »

Recommended Website:
AvKids.com

A list member recommended today’s site — and I’m so glad she did!  :)

For those of you who don’t know, both of my sons are pilots — one flies planes, the other helicopters. They began flying when they were 12 and 14. So, today’s site has particular significance to me — because the information and resources that have been compiled specifically for kids here, simply weren’t available in one place a few years ago.

This site celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Wright Brother’s first powered flight by providing all kinds of FREE lesson plans, activities, and resources to get kids interested in aviation. When you get to the site you will see information in the center of your screen about free teacher materials. Click on the words “AvKids Activity Guide” and a new page opens with a form to fill out to get the free guide (there’s even a checkbox for homeschools). You can download the guide electronically in a pdf file — or you can have the spiral-bound book mailed to you. But that’s not all!

When you are through ordering, go back to the main page to explore:

  • Wright Again — A fabulous multi-media presentation created by the Franklin Institute Science Museum that takes you on a journey of the Wright’s discoveries from the time they were small boys and received a toy helicopter from their dad, to their success at Kitty Hawk. The presentation is in journal format with diary entries, and all kinds of science activities to help demonstrate and explain the concepts of flight. This site alone provides the complete content for any science curriculum.
  • K8AIT — This is so cool. A complete K-8 Aeronautics Internet Textbook created by the aerospace industry and NASA that explains the principles of aeronautics and provides lesson plans, curriculum bridges, activities and so much more. You can choose your entry level from beginner to advanced and explore ancient myths about flight, the history of flight, how nature affects flight through weather, air pressure, thermals, etc., and how flying animals and insects have inspired flight.

For those of you who are not sure that aviation science is of interest to your kids, be sure to play the Games & Activities at this site. Your kids can learn the different parts of an airplane and what they are for by playing Smart Parts, or have fun with memory games and scrambled puzzles themed around aviation.

One of my favorite parts of this website is “Aviation Community” (see the menu bar at the top of the screen). It lists the many organizations that provide kids’ aviation programs from the Civil Air Patrol to Young Eagles — with links to their websites. You can find places in your vicinity where your kids can take a free “discovery” flight — they will even get to handle the plane’s controls!

Book mark this site — it makes science soar!

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