Grade 6 - Understanding Structures and Mechanisms - Flight

Lesson 1:

Goal: 2.2 Use scientific/experimentation skills to investigate the properties of air

Guiding Questions for Investigators:

Group Investigation

1 How do we know air is there? Set up an investigation to prove air is there.

2 When have you felt the force or pressure of air? Set up scenarios so others can feel its force or pressure.

3 What are the principles of air? Where can you see some of these principles applied in daily life? Show us.

Julie Hunter, Grade 5/6A.A. Greenleaf

Lesson 2:

Goal: Understanding Basic Concepts

Group Investigation

1 What are the properties of air that make flight possible?

2 What are some common applications of the properties of air?

3 What are the four forces of flight?

4 Describe the relationships between the forces of lift, weight, thrust, and drag that are required to fly.

Lesson 3:

Goal: Understanding Basic Concepts (con’t)

Students work in groups to investigate the following:

Describe how flying devices or living things use unbalanced forces to control their flight.

Describe how the four forces of flight can be altered.

Julie Hunter, Grade 5/6A.A. Greenleaf

Lesson 4:

Goal: 2.3 Investigate characteristics and adaptations that enable living things to flyTopics to choose from:

- a bat’s wings - insects - seeds- birds

Lesson 5:

Goal: use technological problem-solving skills to design, build, and test a flying device (e.g, kite, a paper airplane, a hot air balloon)Questions to Discuss:How does your device use the principles of flight?What were some challenges in getting your device off the ground?How might you change your device to make it fly better?Vocabulary that should be included:

- aerodynamics Components: Oral or written demonstration of process and knowledge- compress Include a drawing of the device you created- flight- glide- propel- drag- thrust- lift

Julie Hunter, Grade 5/6A.A. Greenleaf