Teacher making a plan

[Hyzzerjose]

I am an engineering/robotics teacher and my district is investing in aeronautics. I want to build a basic curriculum/plan for my classes to start to learn this stuff. My plan includes 3 projects, which hopefully goes from the basics to some solid knowledge. Project 1 - Basic foam glider with instructions. Learn yaw, pitch, and roll, and how the different parts of the glider affect each. This is where we introduce the bernoulli principle regarding wing shape and lift. Project 2 - rubber band styrofoam gliders. Found a youtube video tutorial, it's cheap and easy, but now we add the idea of thrust from the propellor. Project 3 - RC planes. My thinking is the tiny trainer and a power pack for each. I have 4 transmitters in my class and I think a couple receivers.

The purpose of this post is to get advice, ideas for cheap projects, ways to cut corners financially, and maybe some direction on how I might go about this in a better way.

Thanks so much!
Joe

 

[Tench745]

Have you looked into the FT STEM program? I don't know much about it other than knowing it exists, but presumably it is designed for the sort of thing you're pursuing.

 

[Piotrsko]

The Boy scouts had a aerospace program back 10 years ago so they had cheap bulk parts like props and bearings. My kid made eagle and I stopped following. ESTES still has rockets, but now have teensie engines, about 1/8 to1/4A so they dont get much above 100 ft (way smaller field requirements) and then get lost in the light poles. EAA had a program called young eagles, the Smithsonian had a paper airplane contest yearly. Everything above is available online for 1/2 price, and in class sized packs with lesson plans for some. Not sure Bernoulli is still in vogue for theory, had a couple smart alecks disprove him in class. Not teacher, Boy scouts leader with the "with it" den. Btw the girls always did better.

Edit: water powered water bottles using a truck valve stem and a requlated air compressor. Bottles.good to 150 psi, Reliably fires around 60psi with no locking mechanism, good for propulsion experiments on a warm day, can be free flight or wire guided. Hint: for duration regulate the chute size or you get people like me that make a thermalling chute

 

[L Edge]

1) What age/grade group, number in class?
2) How long will the course be for?
3) What facilities do you have and how many times facilities be available in a week ? (such as classroom, hallway, gym, area outside school)
4) How tight is budget?
5) Available computers/ flight programs to help train students?
6) Is there any flying clubs in your area?