The Sky's the Limit: Additional Educator Resources Use these resources to support your teaching of the unit: The Sky's the Limit: Engineering Flying Technologies Educator Resources NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate This web page reviews the air traffic engineering problems that fall under the purview of the aeronautical engineers at NASA. How do Airplanes Work? This website describes the forces acting on a plane during flight. How Helicopters Work This website describes how the spinning blades of a helicopter are able to create lift. The Empty Quarter This National Geographic article reviews the history, geography, and weather of the Empty Quarter. Public Lab: Maps This website has a collection of maps made of aerial photographs taken from balloons and kites around the world. Images can be added to the website. Videos Build a Glider This page includes a Science Friday video about human gliders, and a quick design challenge about building your own glider. Articles What is Aeronautics? This NASA site is a review of aeronautical engineering for children. Books Leonardo and the Flying Boy By Laurence Anholt. Zoro is a little boy in 17th-century Italy, long before airplanes flew in the sky. But Zoro is also an apprentice to the artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci--and Leonardo is experimenting with a revolutionary flying machine! This is a title in Barron's Anholt's Artists Books for Children series, in which author and illustrator Laurence Anholt recalls memorable and sometimes amusing moments when the lives of the artists were touched by children. Anholt's fine illustrations appear on every page and include reproductions of works by the artists. (32 pages) Recommended for reading at K-3 grade level. Publisher: Barron’s Educational Series. ISBN: 978-0764138515 My Brothers' Flying Machine: Wilbur, Orville, and Me By Jane Yolen. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' flight, this story is told from the point of view of their sister, Katherine, who watched her brothers play with a toy flying machine, which was the beginning of their remarkable collaboration. Recommended for reading at 1-4 grade level. Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 978-0316971591 Into the Air: An illustrated Timeline of Flight By Ryan Ann Hunter. From flying prehistoric creatures through hot-air balloons and the first manned flights to today's space travel and envisioned future wonders, this lavishly illustrated picture book traces the entire history of flight in a colorful and innovative way that will strongly appeal to young children. The simple yet lyrical story shows how humans longing to fly studied winged animals for clues, persevered with imagination and courage through years of trial and error, finally got themselves into the air, and continue to race ever higher, faster, and farther. An accompanying fact-filled time line running throughout the pages features whimsical spot illustrations that complement the text and provide another layer of information for young flight enthusiasts. Recommended for reading at PreK-3 grade level. Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books. ISBN: 978-0792251200
