Flight incorporates a fascinating range of technologies and this project will explore these. From navigation to wings and propulsion, this theme is a vehicle for learning how digital, control, electrical and mechanical technologies converge. They will learn basic elements of physics through:
- Set up a test rig with a fan and a card ‘wing’ to experience the four forces of flight.
- Making a paper plane launcher – great fun, and gets the children working with motors and precision “engineering”.
- Launch a rocket to understand thrust and propulsion
- Wire up a Gyroscope and Accelerometer (common components in phones) to a computer to show how these are critical to flying.
Use virtual telescopes to compare the configuration of the stars CLWB schools across the world. Leads to questions about why the stars are configured differently in different parts of the world and how early explorers exploited this.
Science | Technology | Engineering | Maths |
Forces | Wings | Build a wing | Trigonometry |
Motion | Engines | Use a wind tunnel | Bearings |
Air | Rockets | ‘Teardown’ a drone | Direction |
Gravity | Control systems | Navigation | Velocity |
Aerodynamics | Gyroscopes | C Programming | Acceleration |
Propulsion | Accelerometers | Build a launcher | Grids |