Aeronautics

A Book to Help Us Learn About Flying

This is a book for teachers.
It helps kids learn about flying.

It has fun activities.
The activities teach about science.
They teach about math too.
They teach about technology.
Technology means the tools we use.

This book is for kids in grades 2 to 4.
It comes from NASA.
NASA studies air and space.

Did you know?
Every pilot started small.
Every astronaut started small.
Every airplane maker started small.
Many started with a toy glider.
A glider is a plane with no engine.

You can find this book online.
It is on NASA Spacelink.
Spacelink shares NASA books with schools.

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What Is Inside This Book

This book has three big parts.

Part One: Air
These activities teach about air.

• Air Engines
• Dunked Napkin
• Paper Bag Mask
• Wind in Your Socks

Part Two: Flight
These activities teach about flying.

• Bag Balloons
• Sled Kite
• Right Flight
• Delta Wing Glider
• Rotor Motor

Part Three: We Can Fly, You and I
These activities teach more about flying.

• Making Time Fly
• Where Is North? The Compass Can Tell Us
• Let's Build a Table Top Airport
• Plan to Fly There

At the end of the book, there is more.
There is a list of airplane parts.
There is a list of flying words.
There is a list of good books to read.

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How Teachers Use This Book

Each activity has steps.
First, it tells the goal.
Next, it tells what to teach.
Then, it gives facts for the teacher.
Last, it gives steps to follow in class.

Some pages are for students.
Students can look at pictures.
Students can do worksheets.
Some pages have easy steps.
Even kids who can't read much can follow them.

Each part ends with more ideas.
These ideas connect to other subjects.

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What Does Aeronautics Mean?

The word aeronautics is old.
It comes from France.
Before that, it came from Greek.
The Greek words mean "air" and "to sail."

Aeronautics means the study of flying.
It means learning how planes work.

This book explains simple ideas about flight.
It explains the history of flying.
It explains the sky planes fly in.
It explains airports.
It explains how planes find their way.

NASA teachers made these activities.
They used them with many students.
The activities are fun.
They help kids explore how flying works.

Flying is exciting.
Flying can make kids want to learn more.

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NASA's Big Goals for Flying

NASA wants to make new tools for flying.
These tools help planes.
These tools help rockets too.

NASA wants people to travel safely.
NASA wants to keep our country strong in flying.
NASA wants new ideas to help everyone.

To go to space more, we need better ways to travel.
We need cheaper ways to fly to space.
We need safer ways too.

We also need a good way to fly on Earth.
Flying should be safe.
Flying should be kind to our air.
Flying should get people and things where they need to go.

NASA has four big goals:

• Make flying better.
• Help space travel.
• Make new technology.
• Share new technology with others.

Goal: Make Flying Better

NASA wants flying to be safer.
NASA wants fewer airplane accidents.
NASA wants cleaner air too.

Planes let out gases called emissions.
Emissions can hurt our air.
NASA wants to cut down these emissions.
This helps keep our sky clean.