Projects & Materials

STEM at School

STEM UNIT: Introduction to Aviation

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This unit was created by Megan Ketch for a middle school science and technology class through their 2023 Teacher-in-Residence at Plymouth Aviation in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

The unit focuses on the science of aviation and breaks down the major concepts to give students an entry point that they can build on. The unit can also be used to connect to forces and motion and give some hands-on experiences related to forces. Students will enjoy building and testing gliders as the culminating event in this unit!

I was inspired by my own fascination with aviation, which I think many middle school students share as well. There are many opportunities to scaffold up or down in these lessons, or to use pieces from the unit as stand-alone lessons if there are time constraints.