Off to a Flying Start
|
Off to a Flying Start, a NASA Langley Learning Technologies Project, is a K-4 online telecommunications project that uses worldwide collaboration and aeronautics to provide learning opportunities to students in math and science.
Located online at http://ltp.larc.nasa.gov/flyingstart/, Off to a Flying Start is open for participation from October 1-May 31 each year, with the length of project participation determined by individual classroom teachers.
Off to a Flying Start consists of three modules: Introduction to Flight, where students learn basic principles related to airplane design and the theory of flight; Flying the Falcon Flyer, which allows students to build and fly their own gliders; and Experimental Design, which builds on the results obtained with the Falcon Flyer, allowing students to create and test their own unique airplane designs.
Individually, Off to a Flying Start's modules are:
Module 1: Introduction to Flight
This module teaches students the parts of an airplane, as well as how and
why airplanes fly. Suggested topics to cover include: history of flight, important
people in the history of flight, principles of flight, and airports. Introductory
information provided is age- and grade-level appropriate.
Module 2: Flying the Falcon Flyer
Students and teachers construct the Falcon Flyer from the instructions and
templates provided. Students predict flight distance, fly the planes, collect
and record data, graph data, and share data with other classes that are also
participating in the project. Students investigate and describe their own
results, as well as those from other participating schools.
Module 3: Experimental Design
Students use their knowledge of parts of an airplane and how planes fly to
design and construct their own planes. Students compete in a flying contest
with their new planes. They collect data, graph data, and share data with
the project. Again, students investigate and describe results. The winning
design from each school/class is published on the Off to a Flying Start homepage.
Students engaged in Off to a Flying Start will:
- Participate in a collaboration project on the Internet
- Identify the parts of a plane
- Discuss how and why airplanes fly
- Collect and graph data
- Use scientific reasoning to design and construct a plane
- Investigate and describe results
Curator: Randolph Kim
Responsible NASA Official: Mark
Leon
Last Updated: 07/02/2002
