The concept of flight for human beings has always been closely tied to imagination. To fly like a bird requires a mind that also soars. Therefore, good teachers who want to teach the scientific principles of flight recognize that it is helpful to share stories of their search for the keys to flight. The authors share some of these with the reader,…

Presents an activity in which students explore the geography, science and technology, and societal issues related to the historic flight of James Banning and Thomas Allen; the first African-American men to fly across the United States in 1932. Provides a lesson plan and a geographic map that traces the flight. (MDH)

A little more than one hundred years ago, Wilbur and Orville Wright began building models of airfoils and testing them in wind tunnels in their search for an efficient wing. Models continue to be used today by aerospace engineers to prove concepts and launch dreams. To celebrate the centennial of the Wright brothers' historic flight, the authors…