Aerodynamic Adventure

Introduction | Task | Process | Resources | Evaluation | Conclusion

Introduction:

Amelia Earhart was born in Atchison, Kansas, July 24,1898. She was the first woman to make a solo flight over the Atlantic Ocean. She recorded many other firsts in aviation history as either pilot or copilot.Earhart developed an interest in flying during her youth. In July 1937, as she attempted the first round-the-world flight via the equator with navigator Frederick J. Noonan, her plane mysteriously disappeared after takeoff from New Guinea. The mystery surrounding this flight has puzzled many people.

This webquest begins your aerodynamic adventure to assist Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan in a successful completion of their flight. We hope you will enjoy some aerodynamic adventures. During this webquest your group will face lofty challenges. Try to navigate through the following activities. Be sure to stay on task!

The Task:

Your group of investigating aviators must complete a training process to develop skills that will enable you to simulate the flight of Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan in 1939. Your skills should help in analyzing what you believe happened to the lofty two. You must enter the navigator training area in Plane Math Activities. First read Process I and Process II. Then report to Plane Math activities.

The Process:

Process Part I:

Make sure your group has a copy of the Aerodynamic Worksheets.

Training will include all of the following Plane Math Activities, Applying Flying.

1. Flight Plan
2. Bird's Eye View
3. Pie In The Sky
4. Plane Capacity
5. Liftoff
6. Go Fly a Kite
7. Runways and Takeoffs
8. Time Flies
9. Fill'Er Up

Your group will report to others back in the training facility.

Process Part II: Read all directions before you click.

1. Make sure your group has a copy of the Amelia Earhart worksheet.
2. Record information on data obtained in Pioneer Program Guide.
3. Training will commence with Pioneer Plane. Go Now!
4. Follow pilot Tim's instructions.
5. When movie is complete, advance to activity.
6. Record your flight plan for 10 attempts in Explorer Mode.
7. Data should include degree of accuracy for reaching the Howland Islands 10 times.
8. If time allows, you may continue in Challenge Mode.

Resources:

World Wide Web Plane Math - NASA

Learning Advice:

Teams should consist of 2 to 3 people working together at one computer.
This WebQuest could take 3 or more class periods depending on the students. It is important for each team to complete all the activities.

1. Suggested extended lessons:
2. daily journal writing: What did they learn that day? How did they successfully accomplish their task? What are they curious about?
3. reading short stories about the flight (eg. "The Last Flight")
4. Documentary movies about America during this dynamic era
5. Prepare charts/graphs/diagrams for future class presentation
6. Suggested topics for research/discussion -Women's Issues - WWII - Prediction of their fate - Modern reenactments of the real flights via internet.

Evaluation:

Completion of activity sheets with accuracy and complete sentences.
Class presentation. Share collection of data using visuals suggested above.
Teamwork.

Conclusion:

This exercise will allow the learner an opportunity to enhance skills in Math and Science.

• Students will gain knowledge about Amelia Earhart, her famous flights and details about her last flights and details about her last flight with possible explanations.
• Students will learn the definitions of the following words: true course, track, true heading, drift angle.
• Students will understand the method of measuring an angle in degrees and the method of measuring heading directions in degrees based on the compass/protractor.
• Students will understand the relationship between the true course of a plane and its true heading.
• Students will understand the relationship between wind, speed, true heading, and drift angle.
• Students will choose correct operation (subtraction/addition) when adjusting the true course for drift angle, based on wind speed and direction.
• Students will complete correct computation to adjust true course of plane in order to fly to a specific island on radar screen.
• Students will view radar screen (true heading vs true course and wind speed) information as plane is flying and learn when and how to make ongoing adjustments to correct plane flight.

Rebecca Stump and Margaret Schram, Aycock Middle School, Greensboro, NC 27405

GCS WebQuests