Explore the history of flight with your family on Thursday, August 19, during National Aviation Day!
In 1939, National Aviation Day was established by President Franklin Roosevelt as a way to celebrate the achievements of intrepid pioneers of early aviation. On this day each year, we are all invited to explore flight and learn more about how this revolution in technology came to be – and how air travel continues to change today!
Check out this video from the PBS LearningMedia “All About the Holidays” collection created to inspire an interest in design, engineering, and exploration, and featuring a look back on aviation history.
Explore the History of Flight
KidVision | A Day With a Pilot
Grades PreK-2
Follow Miss Penny as she visits an American Airlines Pilot at the Miami International Airport. Learn all about airplanes, airports, and the people who help fly planes! Safe Travels!
Amelia Earhart | Aviator, Record-breaker, and Activist Video
Grades 3-8
Amelia Earhart was a pioneer of early aviation, courageously flying airplanes at a time when the risks were high. Equally bold was her pursuit of a career as a woman in a non-traditional field. Learn about Earhart’s passion for flying and determination to succeed as a female aviator.
The Airplane’s Family Tree: From the Wright Brothers to Today | STEM in 30
Grades 4-8
Did you know that the parts of airplanes today can be traced directly back to the Wright Flyer and the work of Orville and Wilbur Wright? Join STEM in 30 as we trace the family tree of the airplane from that first flight on December 17, 1903, to today.
Milestones of Flight: The Lindberghs | STEM in 30
Grades 5-8
Charles Lindbergh is probably best known for making the first solo flight across the Atlantic in the Spirit of St. Louis. However, Lindbergh and his wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, also reached other milestones in aviation. This episode of STEM in 30 explores the Lindberghs’ aviation-related accomplishments.
Aerodynamics: What Causes Lift?
Grades 6-12
Bernoulli’s principle, an important principle of fluid dynamics, is often used to explain what causes lift, the upward force that keeps an airplane or glider in flight. This media-enhanced essay from NOVA presents an additional explanation of lift, based on Newton’s third law of motion.
Bessie Coleman | Unladylike2020
Grades 7-12
Explore how Bessie Coleman became the first female black pilot and the first African American to hold an international license to fly during the era of Jim Crow – a time when it seemed impossible – laying the groundwork for future African American pilots.
Games, Activities, and More!
What a Piece of Paper! | Sesame Street
Grades PreK-K
Elmo transforms Abby’s piece of paper into a flying paper airplane, demonstrating how paper can be reused to make something new! This video focuses on cultivating art and creativity within little ones.
Dino Flight | Dinosaur Train
Grades PreK-2
Help Jackson and Buddy practice their high-flying moves!
Cardboard Box Airplane
Grades K-2
Take flight! Make an airplane from a cardboard box for a simple and incredibly fun way to engage in imaginative play with your child.
Make Straw Paper Airplanes
Grades K-2
With just a few straws, some construction paper, scissors, and tape, you and your child can make a paper airplane that looks…absolutely ridiculous!… but flies so well that the whole family will be trying to come up with the ultimate flier.
Top Flight | Cyberchase Activity
Grades K-5
Use geometry and symmetry to create your paper airplanes and judge their flights to choose a winner in this Cyberchaser activity.
Engineer a Jetliner
Grades 6-12
Experience the engineering design process as an aerospace engineer assigned to design and test an airplane, in this interactive produced by WGBH and The Documentary Group.
Challenge of Flight
Grades 7-12
Examine the forces that act on an airplane in flight, the motions a pilot controls, and the design process engineers use to develop airplanes that manage these flight conditions, in this interactive produced by WGBH and The Documentary Group.