Have you ever dreamed about flying?
For thousands of years people have wanted to fly. We read the non-fiction narrative text ‘How People Learned to Fly’ by Fran Hodgkins, illustrated by True Kelly. There were many failed attempts and different inventions along the way and this book describes the history of flying and explains the scientific principles that make it possible for people to fly.
People discovered gravity, air and drag. By studying these principles and the flight of birds, people designed wings and built gliders. Finally, in 1903, the Wright Brothers figured out how to combine well designed wings with an engine to invent an airplane.
By asking questions about the world around us, people are able to invent wonderful things. Thinking like a scientist can help you come up with interesting ways to solve problems. The illustrations in this book helped us explore and learn more about scientific principles such as gravity and lift.
While reading the text, we discussed the illustrations and concepts included. We asked questions, before, during and after reading. We focused on developing the following strategies throughout the activity.
The students then documented their own ideas about flight, gravity and lift.
We wondered how the concepts of ‘change‘, ‘technology‘, ‘connection‘ and ‘transformation‘ have impacted flight.