What makes this project a mystery?
You don't know the final outcome of your research . . yet.
The solution to the mystery will relate to the information you learn as you complete each activity.
Check back here often to find activities that will enable you to guess the mystery.
| Students
assigned to complete this question |
Question |
Due Date |
|
 |
1. Discover
the way
raptors fly. How is this method different from the way other birds fly? (Write 3-5 sentences about what you discover). |
UNSCRAMBLE THE CLUE: GRSNAOI |
|
 |
2. How do blue
footed boobies obtain their food? What is the name of their unique
manner of entering the water to find their food? (Note their body position
in the air as they DIVE into the water to feed on prey in the ocean). |
THE CLUE - ADJECTIVE TO DESCRIBE THE BODY POSITION |
|
 |
3. Investigate the
differences between the bones of birds and those of mammals.
Find out how the skeletons
of birds are different from the skeletons of land mammals. Print and color this page. |
THE CLUE: DESCRIBE THE DENSITY OF THE BIRD'S BONES |
|
| 4. To completely
investigate the concept of thermals, please visit each of the
web sites and answer the questions. a. What is a thermal or a thermal current? b. How are thermals created? c. Tell how convection is involved in the creation of thermal currents. d. Is there a difference between air temperature and ground temperature when thermal bubbles or currents are created? |
UNSCRAMBLE THE CLUE: AMELHTR |
||
 |
5. a. Look at the
hyperlink found here --> clouds.
Draw the shapes of 5 different types of clouds. For 2 points of
extra credit, find out what clouds
indicate the presence thermals? b. Do raptors use thermals? (Hint - what land forms or surface features indicate thermal activity?) |
UNSCRAMBLE THE CLUE WHAT SURFACE INDICATES THERMAL ACTIVITY? LTFA |
|
 |
6. Are thermals important to anyone else? Read the information found here and write three to five well constructed sentences telling who else uses thermal air currents. | ||
| 7. Write or type the
answers
to the following 3
questions: a. What are the different types of feathers that birds need to control their flight? (Hint: discuss primaries, secondaries, and tertiaries.) b. Find out the name for the tail feathers; find out what they do and how they act during take off and landing. c. Discuss the birds' wing shapes; find information on the orientation of feathers during flight and landing. Here are some helpful links: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 You will need to read the information available here and make inferences. |
UNSCRAMBLE THE CLUE: ANORIEL |
||
| 8. Visit
this link. Print the worksheet and use this web
site
and this
one to complete it. XC Experiment with this
simulator. Determine the impact on airflow patterns as the
parameters are changed. |
|||
 |
9. Write a "shape
poem." Your poem should include adjectives relating to flight
that
you have learned in projects 1 through 8. Your poem must be in the
shape of a bird, a thermal current, a glider or other flight - related
object. Time
will be given in
class to complete most of this on June 1. The poster must be on
9 X 12 construction paper, in landscape orientation. Markers or
crayons may be used; no colored pencils please. Make sure you spell
adjectives correctly; your name should be on the back of the poster. The photo (left) shows shape poems the 5th graders at Norwood Public School created. |
||
| 10. What are the four
forces on an airplane? Write two sentences about each force
and
then explain how they interact. |
|||
 |
11. Describe
the
challenges faced by Orville and Wilbur Wright when they designed
the first airplane. (Include mechanical challenges and the
challenges
from people who did not believe they could be successful.) Visit
the web sites found here. 1 2 In addition, write a minimum of one paragraph describing how you would feel if you were the Wright brother flying the plane (pictured in the photograph at left.) Make sure you apply the 6 + 1 writing traits; your work should be free from errors. |
||
| 12. Discover the
variation
in bird
wing shapes. Compare the shapes you discover to the similarities
between bird wings and airplane wings. Click here: 1
2
3
4 5 6 7 Students should check their notes - web sites were printed on the white board in the classroom along with keywords used in locating them. |
|||
| FLIGHT FEST,
2010 |
 |
We will be outside during the
morning experimenting with aviation. Spend some time looking at
the launch
system for your gummy bears. Here is the
launcher. |
6/7 Rain date: 6/8 |
 |
References
http://student.britannica.com/comptons/art-51459/A-Galapagos-hawk-alights-on-a-giant-tortoise?&articleTypeId=31
http://www.abc.net.au/nature/twoyears/
http://animals.jrank.org/pages/451/Boobies-Gannets-Sulidae-BLUE-FOOTED-BOOBY-Sula-nebouxii-SPECIES-ACCOUNTS.html
http://www.earthlife.net/birds/anatomy.html
http://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/comparing_avian_human.html
http://www.paulnoll.com/Oregon/Birds/Avian-Skeleton.html
http://www.bom.gov.au/info/weatherkit/section2/chart.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_flight
http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/full/207/10/ii
http://wings.avkids.com/Book/Animals/beginner/index.html
http://www.edunetconnect.com/TimeMachine/northamerica-80.php
http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/fltmidfly.htm
jetright.gif
Wright flyer
Mystery schedule
Feathers
