Aviation! Our Planes Will Deliver 

A Webquest

Created by Sandy Colquhoun

Introduction - Task - Resources - Process - Evaluation - Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

   The time is pre-1940 and there is a great need for a delivery system for small packages from coast to coast and all points in between. You are going to form a company that will provide the fastest form of small package delivery to the nation.  In the recent past, there have been several important people who have been using a new method of transportation, the airplane.   Among the people who have begun to use this form of transportation are the Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh, and Amelia Earhart. Your company has determined that using this new method of transportation might provide the fastest method of package delivery.  The problem is that each of these famous aviators used a different type of airplane.  You will be deciding which plane the company should buy to make the delivery system profitable.

THE TASK

You will perform the following tasks in determining which form of air transportation will best suit your company for  small package delivery to the nation.

Write a short biography on one of the following people: the Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh, or Amelia Earhart. 

Define parts of the airplane and describe how the airplane flies.

Make a chart showing the speed and endurance of the plane used by the Wright Brothers', Charles Lindbergh, or Amelia Earhart.

Create a flight plan from Los Angeles to Indianapolis and a flight plan from Los Angeles to New York.

Using the chart and other gathered information, determine which plane should be purchased for your delivery company.

RESOURCES

     Atlas
     Encarta Electronic Encyclopedia
     Grolier's Electronic Encyclopedia
     World Almanac
     World Book Encyclopedia 
     Various Books in Media Center on Aviation and/or Flight

     The following Internet sites:
        Wright Brothers:
Biography
Pictures of plane
Military Flyer
            Wright Brothers at the Smithsonian
        Charles Lindbergh:
Biography
Picture of plane
            Information on plane
        Amelia Earhart:
Biography
  Airplane
            Aviation history
        Airplanes:
How they work
How planes fly

THE PROCESS

1. You will be assigned to one of three groups:  The Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh or Amelia Earhart.  The information you gather will be based on the aviator your group is name for.  The Wright Brothers group will locate information only on the Wright Brothers, the Lindbergh group will locate information only on Charles Lindbergh and the Amelia Earhart group will locate information on Earhart.

2. Using the sources listed; write a short biography on the aviator you are assigned to.  This biography should contain information such as where and when they were born and when they died. List the education and any jobs they might have held.  Information should also be given about what they did in the aviation field to become famous.  This biography should be about a page in length.

3. Draw a picture of a simple airplane (remember this is pre-1940) and label the parts of the plane.  Under this picture describe what each part of the plane does.  Write another paragraph on how an airplane flies using terms such as force, lift, thrust and drag.  A good source for information on this project is the internet site off to a Flying Start.

4. Investigate the airplane most closely associated with the person you are assigned to.  You need to locate information about the speed of the airplane and how far it can travel at one time. The class will create a chart showing each plane and how fast it can travel and the maximum distance it can fly.

5. Using an atlas, determine flight paths from Los Angeles to Indianapolis and from Los Angeles to New York based on the airplane associated with your aviator.  List states, cities, mountain ranges, major rivers and other major geographical areas you will be flying over.   In order to help you determine the best way to create a flight plan, see PlaneMath Activities.    Remember you will need to fly into and out of major airports, if possible,   because you will need to refuel.  Using a map of the United States, draw your flight path on the map indicating your refueling stops.  Determine how many miles you fly on each segment of your trip and the total miles for your trip.

6. The class will come together for discussion and sharing information.  Since you are creating a company for small package delivery, the company needs a name. The class will brainstorm and vote on a name for the company.  Each group will share the biographical information they gathered about their aviator. Using the class-created chart, information gathered about the flight paths to Indianapolis and to New York, and other information gathered during the project, determine which plane would be the best to use for your new company.  List the reasons for choosing that particular plane.

EVALUATION

    Since this is a group project, each group will be graded.  There will be no individual grade for this project.  The group will be evaluated on the completion of each task.   Each task will be worth the following percentage of the whole grade:
                                    Biography                                    25%            
                                    Parts of the plane picture        30%
                                    Chart of speed & endurance    10%
                                    Flight paths                                 35%

Students should carefully follow the steps listed in the PROCESS section listed above. If all of the steps have been completed in each section, the full percentage will be awarded.  For each step that is not included a 5% deduction from the grade will be given.

CONCLUSION

  You have started a company which will solve the problem of delivering small packages from coast to coast.  In doing the research for this company, you have learned about airplanes and how they work.  You have learned about the pioneers in aviation and what they have done to help this new form of transportation to succeed.   You have learned about the geography of the United States.  You have also learned to work in groups to compile information and work as a large group to determine the best form of transportation for your  new company.

Last Updated April 2, 2005 by Trisha Armstrong