Teacher's Guide for COBBLESTONE ^® The Wright Brothers

• to focus on the historical contributions in aviation made by the Wright Brothers
• to examine the role of airplanes in today's world

Wednesday, December 3, 2003 marks the 100th anniversary of Orville Wright's flight. Have students read the the article "Making History" and then write a skit dramatizing that historic day for the lower grades at your school.

Using the same article, have students create a newspaper front page of the flight. Articles should refer to the flight, the plane and spectator reaction, both domestic and international.

Before the Wright Brothers began their experiments with airplanes and flying, they manufactured and repaired bicycles at their shop in Dayton, Ohio. Have students write a compare and contrast essay on the bicycles during the 1900s with bicycles today.

Airplanes carry people and freight around the world 365 days a year. Choose a domestic (flies to cities in the U.S), international (flies to cities in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, Australia) or freight carrier to research.

Create a flash card game based on the inventions mention in the article First Flights. Draw the planes, hot air balloons, etc. on the front of the card and write the information on the back.

"Women Take Flight" focuses on the first women pilots. Have students put together a report on the status of women pilots today -- flying commercial planes and military planes.

The Wright Brothers sold their first military plane -- the 1909 Wright Military Flyer -- to the U.S. Army Signal Corps for $30,000, and the rest, as they say, is history. Military planes are crucial during wartime. Use the pictures from the article "From Kitty Hawk to Combat -- the Growth of an Industry" as story starters. For those who are interested, have them create a collage of war planes from the different wars -- World War I to the Persian Gulf War -- the U.S. has been involved in.

What roles did Dr. Samuel Pierpont Langley and Glenn H. Curtiss play in the evolution of the airplane?

Have students design an airplane for the 21st Century. Students should then give an oral presentation about their plane.

Photocopy the pictures and illustrations of your choice to use as story starters for creative writing.

Have students put together a pictorial history of the airplane using the pictures and illustrations in this issue.

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Updated: 11/21/09 03:39 am
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