Flight and the science capabilities for NZC levels 1-3
Flight is a popular topic in primary and intermediate schools. Things with wings are all around us – both natural and mechanical.
Flight is an ideal way to explore the physical world and forces.
This collection provides some big science ideas, probing questions and suggestions for teaching flight.
In particular, it uses flight to explore the science capabilities.
Research shows that students are unlikely to comprehend some of the physical science concepts until senior high school or later.
Our advice is to keep it simple. Focus on one or two big science ideas appropriate to student needs and abilities. Students will likely have several opportunities during their education to build their knowledge of forces!
Resource information
The resources in this collection are written to build teacher content knowledge and vocabulary.
Each resource has a note behind it. Click on the yellow border to access the notes.
This is a very small sample of flight resources on the Hub. Use the Explore topics tab on the navigation bar and scroll down to find the flight topic. This will take you to many more resources.
Flight: related topics
Think outside the square if you are using flight as a school-wide focus.
Additional ways to explore flight include:
- feathers: functions and structures https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/search?term=feathers
- animal adaptations: for flight and/or flightlessness https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/search?term=adaptations%2Bflight
- insects and flight
- flight and conservation: use of drones, helicopters, satellites for monitoring, pest control https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/1443-aeronavics https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/2352-hi-tech-drones-copy-nature-s-design
- beyond transportation: How else do we use flying objects? Are there new ways we can use them?
Use the Hub's Flight topic or search function to find additional resources.
Flight - big science ideas Level 1 and 2
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Some animals and some machines can fly.
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Plants cannot fly, but their seeds may be able to float.
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Flying, floating and falling are 3 different concepts.
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Forces (pushes and pulls) are involved in flight.
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Machines like airplanes, helicopters and drones use engines and wings to fly.
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Animals like birds and insects use muscles and wings to fly.
Flight - big science ideas Level 3
In addition to the ideas mentioned in the Levels 1 and 2, these ideas apply:
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The four main forces that affect flight are weight, lift, thrust and drag.
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These forces can be balanced or unbalanced.
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For machines to keep flying, an engine or similar must keep the wings moving through the air.
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For animals to keep flying, their wings must keep moving through the air.
NZC levels 1 and 2
Flight is a huge topic so it pays to remember what the curriculum has to say:
NOS Investigating in science emphasises the role of exploration, play, asking questions and discussing simple models.
NOS Communicating in science emphasises building language and understanding.
With younger students, keep it simple. Use exploration and play, with careful teacher questioning, to develop content vocabulary and to BEGIN to explore the physics of flight.
NZC level 3
Flight is an ideal way to identify and describe the effect of forces on the motion of objects.
NOS Investigating in science emphasises asking questions, finding evidence, exploring simple models and simple investigations.
NOS Communicating in science emphasises content vocabulary, symbols and conventions.
Investigating flight – introduction
This is a good overview of some of the Hub's flight resources. Check out the links within the text to help decide which aspects of flight you might like to cover. For levels 1 and 2, exploring what flies and defining what flight is, might be sufficient.
Investigating rockets – introduction
Rockets is another context for teaching the principles of flight. Check out the links within the text to help you decide what aspects of flight you might like to cover.
The basics of balanced and unbalanced forces, thrust, mass and aerodynamics are good places to start for level 3 and above.
Principles of flight
The two images on this page are useful for exploring the the science capability Interpret representations.
Click on the "i" on each image to enlarge it on an IWB or screen for discussion.
Image: Taking wings
- What objects do you see in this image?
- Why do you think these are silhouettes rather than actual photos?
- What do the objects have in common?
- What is different about the objects?
- Have the images been depicted accurately?
Image: Forces affecting flight
- What is this diagram telling us?
- What do the arrows mean?
- If we substitute a drone or a seagull for the airplane, would the labels still be accurate?
How birds fly
Physical features
Become familiar with some of the physical features of birds. Use images of birds to discuss these features and how the features might help or hinder a bird for flight.
The science capability Gather and interpret data has a focus on observation versus inference.
Help students to differentiate between the two by beginning observation statements with 'I see. .' and inference statements with "I think. . '.
Discuss observation and inference while students observe the birds in the photos below.
For example, students might notice that godwits have thin beaks and thin legs, while takahe have thicker, heavier beaks and legs. From this observation, they can infer that godwits have features that aid them in flight.
https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/images/290-godwits-designed-to-fly
https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/images/1333-young-takahe
There are lots of other bird images on the Hub - see the topic Birds and filter for images.
In addition, searching for bird adaptations will provide information about New Zealand birds and how they are adapted for flight or flightlessness.
What flies?
This is a good introductory activity to determine what students already know about flight vocabulary and science concepts. Or use it later for formative or summative assessment purposes.
Using the activity cards to categorise things that fly supports the science capability Use evidence. Students, like scientists, need to use evidence to support their explanations.
A progression of flight – timeline
Use the images in this timeline to view and discuss changes brought about by advances in science and technology.
These discussions support several aspects of the nature of science.
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how science knowledge changes over time (tentative nature of science)
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creative and imaginative nature of science
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socially and culturally embedded nature of science
See https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/413-tenets-of-the-nature-of-science for more details.
Use the activity Future flight to explore future possibilities. https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/319-future-flight
The book Pathways: Flying Through Time has lesson plans and teaching materials. Learn more: https://csi-literacy.nz/products/pathways-flying-through-time?variant=22065955012726
Kites
This is a practical, hands-on activity for exploring the forces of flight, using content vocabulary and using science to inform technological practice.
The Word download document has links to the various flight science concepts.
The activity works best if there is parent (or additional) help available for younger students when making the simple sled kite. The design is easy to make and use, but accuracy in measurement and cutting will help with its flight.
The activity supports the science capability Interpret representations.
Water bottle rockets
This activity explores the variables that affect the distance and height of a bottle rocket's flight.
The activity supports multiple science capabilities:
- Gather and interpret data (observe launches and infer why they were successful or not)
- Use evidence and critique evidence (the collection and examination of flight data)
- Interpret representations (instructions and templates)
- Engage with science (How do companies like Rocket Lab work to improve their flights to and from space?)
Aerofoils and paper planes
This is a simple activity that illustrates wing lift. Students represent air molecules and move around the room. Then they build an aerofoil using paper, straws, cotton thread and a hair dryer. Very visual.
The second part of the activity puts a lot of this into practice by experimenting with paper planes.
Paper planes are an ideal way to investigate wing shape and size.
If the thought of making paper planes in the classroom is too hard, think about making it a homework task. Students can take paper home and build a model or two with their families. You can always have a display for discussion rather than a fly-off.
Flight mythology
Cross-curricular opportunities
Flight mythology lends itself to literacy and the arts.
Students can retell the stories in this article - with annotations depicting the science fact and fiction - or they can create their own stories and myths.
Te Ara has additional information about Māori kites. https://teara.govt.nz/en/kites-and-manu-tukutuku
The article Literacy through science provides suggestions on how to connect the English and science strands to add value to both. https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/2715-literacy-through-science
Useful links
The Building Science Concept series have 2 titles of interest:
Flight: Control in the air: https://scienceonline.tki.org.nz/Teaching-resources/Building-Science-Concepts/Titles-and-concept-overviews/Flight-Control-in-the-Air
Parachutes: Floating and falling in the air: https://scienceonline.tki.org.nz/Teaching-resources/Building-Science-Concepts/Titles-and-concept-overviews/Parachutes-Floating-and-Falling-in-Air
Educators in New Zealand schools can use Journal Surf to find literacy resources to support the topic flight. https://journalsurf.co.nz/search