On December 17, 1903, Wilbur Wright stretched out across the lower wing of the flying machine that he and his brother, Orville, had built and gently eased the machine into the world's first successful powered flight. The craft flew about 120 feet before settling back down into the sand of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Later that day, the Wrights made three additional flights; the last and longest covered more than 850 feet in just under one minute.
The Wrights may have succeeded where others had failed because they brought a unique combination of talents to their task. They were meticulous in their work, and they did not hesitate to develop their own theories and solutions, especially when commonly held assumptions about the physics of flight got in their way.
The Centennial of the Wrights' first flight has resulted in a bumper crop of new web sites devoted to the history of these creative inventors and to flight and aviation in general. The links and descriptions below should provide a great introduction to the Wright Brothers' achievements for students at any level.
There are many ways to link the Wrights into your curriculum. They were consummate inventors, and they were able to grasp the principles necessary for flight and incorporate them into their airplane. They were also among a small cadre of late nineteenth century inventors, including Edison, Ford, and others, who devised practical solutions for problems that had defeated others. The Wrights harnessed science, made history, and changed the economic and commercial fabric of both their own country and the rest of the world.
As always, we invite your comments on our work. Please send suggestions, additional sites, or other ideas to us by clicking here.
Happy flying!
Web Resources
100 Years of Flight Grades 6 - 12
Time Magazine created this site to commemorate the centennial of powered flight in fall, 2003. Predictably, the site relies heavily on the rich archive of Time-Life photos from the early twentieth century. There are also articles and commentary on many aspects of the growth of commercial and military aviation.
Across the Curriculum with the Wright Brothers Grades 4 - 12
Another NASA site, this resource has as its emphasis a cross-curricular approach to the centennial of flight. There are links to History (Wright time lines, history of flight timelines, history of NASA); Science, Math & Technology (posters, links to other sites, links to lesson plans), Geography (featuring some stunning satellite photos of Kitty Hawk and other Wright-related sites), Language Arts (related books, a link to poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, a friend of the Wright Brothers’), and Careers (as inventors and in aeronautics, with a special emphasis on women in aeronautics).
Airline History Grades 4 - 12
Here’s an interesting, though oddly-constructed, history of commercial aviation in Britain and the U.S. The narrative is detailed and the photos are instructive, though users will find the site easier to use if they scan it first to see where everything lives. While some sections appear incomplete, interested upper elementary and middle school students will find this story just the ticket.
Aviation Education: Grades 6 - 12
From the Federal Aviation Administration, this site includes links to many of the sites listed here. Also links to a skit written for elementary and middle school students, and instructions for building a 1903 Flyer out of Styrofoam. There is a downloadable Wright Brothers Curriculum Guide, and an Orville and Wilber Wright Activity Guide. The downside of this site is that nearly everything must be downloaded and cannot be previewed first, so you spend time waiting for the download without knowing what you’re getting first.
Basics of Space Flight Grades 9 - 12
This site from Cal Tech’s Jet Propulsion Lab offers an extensive reference (at least for student purposes) on the principles, environment, and problems associated with space flight. The jargon is technical, most suitable for motivated secondary students, but there is a wealth of content available here.
Centennial of Flight Commission Grades 4 - 12
This government site offers information the celebration of the Wright Brothers’ Flight centennial, as well as a great collection of printable posters and commemorative lesson materials. These could make great classroom decorations, and the lesson materials are thorough and grade-specific. Try this one on students interested in the physics of flight or a career in aviation.
Centennial of Flight: Rediscovering the Challenges of Flight Grades 2 - 12
Click on "Educator Resources" for a collection of lesson plans focused on the NASA project to replicate the Wright Brothers’ 1903 Flight. Includes information on meeting national standards, assessment activities, profiles on famous people related to flight and further internet resources.
Countdown to Kitty Hawk Grades 6 - 12
A site maintained by the Experimental Aviation Association and the Ford Motor Company, it is focused on the replication of the "Wright Flyer" the plane flown by the Wright Brothers in 1903. Most of the site consists of side by side comparisons between the original Flyer and the 2003 replica. Not as rich as many of the other sites about the Wrights.
Dream of Flight Grades 6 - 12
Highlighting the incredible courage, ingenuity, and determination of Orville and Wilbur Wright, this Library of Congress site traces the importance of flight through history as it chronicles the brothers’ amazing achievement in Kitty Hawk, NC. Rich in text, photographs, and primary source documents, this electronic exhibit could form the basis for a teacher-created Web hunt, or serve as a visual supplement for a unit on American history and inventors.
Educators’ Flight Plan Grades 6 - 12
A site from the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission which includes posters and bookmarks to download, a Wright Brothers' themed word search puzzle, an aviation "Fact of the Day" from the Library of Congress, and a link to an online weather forecasting program that helps students understand the importance of weather to the Wright Brothers and their attempts to fly, as well as the attempts by modern day researchers who hope to recreate the Wright Brothers’ flight on the anniversary. There is an Educational Resources Matrix with links to 57 organizations which provide further information that might be helpful to educators, an interactive timeline, and a link to Robert B. Elliott’s "Toothpick Airforce" instructions for building replicas of the Wright flyers.
Enola Gay Restoration Grades 6 - 12
Once restored but not displayed, this site from the Smithsonian chronicles the most recent restoration of the bomber that dropped the first atomic weapon. Users can view images of the plane and its restoration, and they can also learn how the Air and Space Museum preserves its many assets. The museum’s new facility, located near Dulles Airport, is due to open in December, 2003.
Evolution of Flight in Birds Grades 9 - 12
This extremely well-organized site from U.C. Berkeley examines evidence from the fossil record, behavior, biomechanics and cladistic analysis to interpret the sequence of events that led to flight in the dinosaur lineage. Students gather, organize and analyze data and then propose hypotheses about the evolution of flight in birds. Created with support from the National Science Foundation.
Evolution of Flight in Birds Grades 6 - 12
Help students think the way da Vinci and the Wright Brothers did using this interactive tutorial that scientifically assembles evidence explaining how birds have achieved the ability to fly! The entire module requires four to eight class periods, depending on the activities chosen. Lesson plans, handouts, and assessment that align with the Nation Science Education Standards are provided. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
Flight History Grades 6 - 12
This British site includes a large collection of images of famous European and American aircraft, along with stories about many of them. Many of the stories concentrate on the circumstances in which the aircraft were used. Try using this site as a supplement to a study of aeronautics or events of the early twentieth century.
Flights of Inspiration Grades 4 - 8
This site about flight offers information on both the science and history of flight. Created by American and British museums, it offers students a chance to explore both the people who pioneered flight and the aerodynamics they had to master to get airborne. Lots of instructional possibilities here.
Google Guide Grades 5 - 12
Google has pulled together descriptions of how to use some of the new features available by just using the search box. In addition to searching and finding driving directions, users can now check flight times, do math problems, check the routes of packages, see travel conditions, obtain stock quotes, get definitions and more. At the bottom of the page, searchers can link to more shortcut offerings, including Google Guide's Cheat Sheet and Google Guide's Coffee page.
How Air Force One Works Grades 4 - 12
For the fans of Presidential gadgets, Air Force One is the ultimate. Here's a site that really does explain how the president's jet functions and what it looks like on the inside. Lots of text, images, and animations will make this one attractive for curious airplane fans.
How Things Fly: Activities for Teaching Flight Grades 4 - 8
This site from the National Air and Space Museum walks users through a simple introduction to the physics of flight using non-technical terms. In addition to the content, there is a great collection of activities that users can try at home with little or no supervision.
Introduction to Aeronautics Grades 4 - 8
While it’s a bit confusing at first, this NASA site offers a nice upper elementary-level introduction to aeronautics and airplane design. It includes sections on history, aircraft components, and propulsion systems.
Invention of the Aerial Age Grades 6 - 12
The Smithsonian's homage to the Wright brothers is still incomplete, but there's plenty to see already, and the illustrations and photos go well beyond what can be found elsewhere. Users will find a chronology that links to other content describing the challenges and solutions the brothers developed along the way. Definitiely worth a visit.
K-8 Aeronautics Lessons Grades 1 - 8
These lessons are designed to complement the K-8 Aeronautics Textbook developed in cooperation with NASA. They provide a set of lessons keyed to the material presented at the site.
K-8 Aeronautics Textbook Grades 1 - 8
This site, developed in cooperation with NASA, offers an attractively designed web curriculum for the study of aeronautics. There are a variety of lessons, resources, and activities, as well as lesson plans for use by teachers. The site is maintained at the University of California at Davis.
Liftoff! Grades 4 - 6
Aviation Week's lesson collection on the history and principles of flight includes more that a dozen lessons each on topics that include Astronomy/Space, Forces/Motion, Life in Flight, and weather. Each lesson includes one or more demonstrations or classroom activities.
NASA Celebrates A Century of Powered Flight Grades 1 - 12
A series of Web Quests aimed at different grade levels available in either Word or Adobe Acrobat formats. Grades K-3 is on Famous Aviators; grades 4-6 includes two quests on wing warping and wind tunnels; grades 7-9 also includes a quest on wing warping, and adds a quest on the possibility of a Mars airplane, and grades 10-12 adds a quest on the physics of flight.
NASA Explores Grades 1 - 2
Each week, this site offers timely articles and lesson plans related to current NASA projects. Click on the "Standards" link to reveal archived activities organized into three grade levels: K - 4, 5 - 8, and 9 - 12. Other features of the site include grade-appropriate glossaries of scientific terms and a Just for Fun section that offers puzzles, maps, scavenger hunts, and much more.
NASA Food Technology Pages Grades 6 - 12
Space food!? Why not! While there’s a lot of “acronym soup” on this page, it contains links to a variety of activities dealing with food science, nutrition, and outer space. Along the way, students can learn about nutrition requirements, packaging food for space flight, and the factors critical for a healthy diet.
Navy Aviation Museum Grades 4 - 12
The Navy’s aviation museum houses one of the world’s largest collections of military aircraft. The museum’s web site offers slide shows, images of many of the aircraft, and a state of the art presentation on the battle of Midway, complete with wartime newsreel footage. The site will absorb students interested in the history of military aviation. You’ll need a broadband connection for this one.
Paper Airplanes Grades 3 - 8
Turn every student's favorite class distraction into a learning opportunity with this lesson that takes a scientific look at the common paper airplane. Instructions on how to properly fold an airplane are provided (not that your students will need those!), but then the challenge begins. Structural adjustments to increase performance are discussed, the function of the paper in the construction process is examined, and basic concepts of flight are explained. Pair this activity with a study of the Wright Brothers and the history of flight, or with an environmental lesson on paper recycling.
Reliving the Wright Way Grades 4 - 12
Here’s a NASA site that presents a step-by-step analysis of the process by which Wilbur and Orville Wright invented their first airplane. The site then shows how NASA uses a similar process in its research today, and it provides links to web content at various K-12 levels that describes this research. Use this one as both an introduction to the Wright brothers and a search tool for more contemporary aeronautics and space web resources.
Re-Living the Wright Way Grades 6 - 12
Maintained by NASA, this site contains links to biographies of Orville and Wilber Wright, photos of events in celebration of the centennial of flight, and some outstanding links to the science behind the Wright Brothers’ flight (click on the "3" of "2003" on the home page).
The "Lesson Plans" link takes you to a series of links to other sites with information on lessons for all grade ranges, including some information on planning for careers in aeronautics.
The "Simulations" link leads you to a number of Java-powered sites with simulations of the Wright aircraft and the scientific principles of flight.
The "Presentations" link directs you to several Power Point presentations linking NASA projects with the Wright Brothers' explorations, including a number of Power Point presentations prepared by elementary schools.
Finally, the "Activities" link takes you to a comprehensive set of activities (mostly for grades 6 and up) that relate to the Wright Brothers and their flights.
Re-living the Wright Way Grades 9 - 12
Not for the faint-hearted, this site explains the math and science behind the Wright Brother’s success on that fateful day in Kitty Hawk, NC. Geometry, trigonometry, and Newton’s Laws, along with principles of aerodynamics, are discussed as they relate to aircraft and the phenomena of flight. Many of the links take you to interactive programs that visually illustrate scientific principles. Created by NASA.
Space Wander Grades 4 - 8
Users jump aboard a spacecraft and experience liftoff and travel to Mars, Jupiter, and other parts of the solar system. Still pictures and video (all actual NASA photos) from the space craft help the visitor "experience" the trip from the inside. Besides hearing the progress of the trip and seeing its descriptions in English, viewers can also select French, Italian, British English, or Spanish; German is coming soon. NOte that some of the simulation is explained in text subtitles and NOT in the audio. Viewing options include text only and Flash versions for those with partial eyesight. There are also accommodations for Braille readers.
Stories of the Wrights' Flight Grades 8 - 12
Learn about a pivotal event in American history while strengthening research skills. This lesson plan combines primary source documents authored by the Wright brothers with newspaper accounts of the Kitty Hawk accomplishments. Students are asked to compare and contrast the two sources to identify discrepancies and isolate the most reliable documents.
The Wright Brothers Grades 6 - 12
Maintained by the Henry Ford Museum, a small site focused on biographies of the Wright Brothers and a time line of their flights. The main Henry Ford Museum site has more information on the historical context of the times in which the Wrights lived.
The Wright Stuff Grades 6 - 12
From the PBS American Experience Site, this site includes both RealAudio clips and transcripts of interviews with two historians about the Wright Brothers, a Quick Time movie of a recreation of the Wright Brothers’ flight, and narrative about the PBS American Experience program on the Wright Brothers. "Read More Learn More" is simply a (non-hyperlinked) bibliography.
U.S. Air Force Museum Grades 4 - 12
Here’s a site with dozens of images and histories of military and civilian aircraft. The site also includes histories of many aircraft used by U.S. presidents. This site could assist with research on aviation history or related topics.
Vertibrate Flight Exhibit Grades 9 - 12
Man may have been flying for only a century, but other vertebrates have been doing it for millions of years! Take a virtual tour of the University of California’s Paleontology Vertebrate Flight Exhibit. If you’re just introducing the mechanics of flight, embarking on a study of natural history and prehistoric life, or looking for a new approach to an old physics lesson, this site can provide a wealth of information. Each topic of the exhibit can be explored independently or the entire site can be treated as a tutorial, with each section flowing logically to the next. The text requires a fairly high level of reading, but is brief. Links providing further explanation of key terms are found throughout the site.
Way Back: Flight Grades 3 - 8
This interactive website (created by PBS) presents the history of flight. What a fabulous way to integrate history, science, inventions, research, and writing. Click your way through the notable and not-so-notable flight pioneers. Other highlights of this website include a wealth of information about the Wright Brothers, a modern day female barnstormer, "joke" links, and more.
Wright Again! Grades 4 - 12
Here’s an extensive Wright Brothers site for students that marries a detailed chronology of the brothers’ experiments to a huge collection of student activities. Teachers can use the materials in lots of ways, but the site does a wonderful job of showing the thousands of small steps that were necessary for the Wrights to achieve their goal.
Wright Brothers Aeroplane Company Grades 6 - 12
Billed as a virtual museum, the site is divided into "wings." There is an enormous amount of information on this site! The History "wing" includes biographies of the Wright Brothers, information about the history of flight and some little known facts in an area called "aviation's attic." Along the side are links to music files with music of the early 1900s such as the Wrights might have listened to. The Adventure "wing" looks at models of airplanes and the science of flight, and includes more music files. The "Information Desk" includes news about local Dayton, Ohio commemorations of the centennial of flight. No lesson plans and no areas specifically for educators, but lots of facts and pictures spread out all over the site.
Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Aerial Age Grades 8 - 12
This site offers beautiful illustrations, photographs and interactive activities, all designed to acquaint visitors with the challenges and achievements of the Wright Brothers. In addition to excellent content - organized by topic in timeline format - the site features an artifact gallery and several well-planned classroom activities. An interactive "pitch, roll, and yaw" experiment is coming soon.
Wright Brothers’ Flying Machine Grades 6 - 12
This companion site to the NOVA program of the same name includes some slick interactive components that would let student experience some of the problems with which the Wright brothers had to grapple to make their airplane fly. These help illustrate how the two reverted to “first principles” in solving problems, rather than building on the theories of others. This one puts lots of information into readily available form.
Wright Brothers’ History Grades 6 - 12
The US Centennial of Flight Commission has prepared an extensive look at the Wright Brothers and their efforts to build a successful aircraft. This section of a larger site offers details on the journals, the specifications, and the reconstruction of the original Wright flyer. History and physics teachers alike will enjoy this one.
Wright Flyer Glider Plans Grades 9 - 12
Want to build your own Wright glider? Here are the plans! This site offers a complete set of plans to build a full-sized version of a glider very similar to the one the Wright brothers flew. While there are lots of teaching possibilities from these plans, be VERY CAUTIOUS if you actually set out to build one! The resulting glider is highly unstable and would be dangerous for even an experienced pilot to fly. Caveat aviator, but it’s a lot of fun to think about.
Wright Flyer Project Grades 6 - 12
The 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ first flight is in fall of 2003, and this site documents an effort to replicate that achievement by replicating the original Wright Flyer. In turns out to be more difficult than even the experts imagined. Learn more here.