Aerodynamics Unit of Work - CASE

Every pilot should understand at a fundamental level the principles of aerodynamics that keep their aircraft aloft. In this video, we dig deep into the principles of flight, and just what it takes to get an airplane off the ground and keep it in the air.

Sample Unit of Work

The following Unit of Work was developed as a collaboration with the STEM Industry School Partnerships (SISP) program and teachers from Cessnock High School. Aeronaut is a 11 week unit of work to support the Aerodynamics iSTEM elective. It has been designed to meet the localised needs of the Cessnock Academy of STEM Excellence. The Unit of Work document is available below.

Summary of Unit

Students explore the mathematical, scientific, technological and engineering principles of Aerodynamics and apply STEM Fundamentals in the design of practical projects using an engineering design process. Students develop an understanding of STEM connections of Aerodynamics within the world they live, including related skills, industries and careers.

Students investigate past, current and emerging technologies and design elements through the development of prototypes to simulate the impacts of aerodynamic principles on aesthetics, efficiency and function of engineered rocket, aeroplane and automobile solutions. Students develop inquiry and project based learning skills appropriate to STEM practice through both individual and collaborative tasks using relevant software and hardware to produce engineered solutions.

Students design, produce, evaluate and communicate solutions to aerodynamic problems related to lift, drag, weight and thrust to meet detailed specifications.

STEM Learning Activities

Suggested Activity 1: The Bottle Rocket Challenge

The Bottle Rocket Challenge has been developed by the STEM Industry School Partnerships (SISP) Program in collaboration with Design Nuts^tm. The Challenge is a great way to demonstrate the different aspects of the iSTEM process leading to the development of an innovative solution to a aerodynamics problem.

A two video series has been produced to help step students through the iSTEM process whilst designing a Bottle Rocket.

Click the resources button to find resources to support the Bottle Rocket Challenge.

Suggested Activity 2: Skylap

Skylap uses the fascination of flight to motivate students to develop their own aircraft design. There are so many variables that the only one way to see if it will fly is to test it. How much lift does it achieve? How fast is it? How do small modifications affect its flight behavior? All these things are tested using the Power Anchor. Students begin by making a simple aircraft and test it for speed, weight and lift using the Power Anchor. The results become a baseline for further modifications.

Note This project requires the purchase of the Power Anchor or Power STEM device available from Designability Group. The project has rich in engineering content, backed up with Skylap materials kits, a full set of teaching resources including student notes and teacher notes plus classroom video with demonstrations plus all the consumables to run the project with confidence. to find out more visit https://powerstem.com.au/

Downloads

Aeronaut Unit of Work Document 57 KB

This unit of work introduces students to the science, technology, engineering and mathematical principles of aeronautical design. Using inquiry and project based learning, students apply an iterative design process to develop, test and evaluate engineered solutions for rockets and planes with opportunities to transfer knowledge and skills to automobile designs.

Download

iSTEM Syllabus 1 MB

iSTEM syllabus document to support the Aeronaut unit of work

Download

The Bottle Rocket Challenge Folio 4 MB

The Bottle Rocket Challenge has been developed by the STEM Industry School Partnerships (SISP) Program in collaboration with Design Nuts. The Challenge is a great way to demonstrate the different aspects of the iSTEM process leading to the development of an innovative solution to a aerodynamic problem.

Download

Aeronautical Velocity Challenge Competition Document 2 MB

The Aeronautical Velocity Challenge Competition document from 2015 gives teachers a great framework to run a school based event. It includes general rules and conditions as well as a judges sheet which can be easily adapted to your school.

Download

Videos

Fluids flowing near a surface tend to follow the shape of the surface. Using Schlieren optics, we can see this behavior. It is known as the Coanda Effect and its explanation depends on viscosity, the frictional forces between the molecules of a fluid (be it liquid or gas). The Coanda effect is the culprit behind many everyday incidents as well as more esoteric phenomena, such has levitating a ball in a stream of air.

This is the first video in a series about Bernoulli's principle and lift.

Newton's third law of motion is probably the easiest of the three laws to understand. Watch this physics video on forces and motion to understand it better!

Design and make an aircraft and test it using the PowerAnchor.

The PowerAnchor is the smartest way to test vehicle and aircraft design projects.

The all new PowerAnchor with remote controls, snap on legs, data logger, rechargeable battery takes PowerStem projects to the next level.

Links

Careers with STEM

Careers with STEM is Australia's top FREE student STEM careers guides - computer science careers guide, science, maths & engineering careers guides: tips, inspiration and paths.

Visit

How to Build a water rocket

In this activity, students make a water bottle rocket. They investigate the variables that affect the height and distance travelled by the rocket.

Visit

Rocket Launch Challenge

In this simulation, students set rocket parameters before launching to see how high the rocket goes and whether they can launch the payload.

Visit

Project Falcon is now Autodesk Flow Design

Flow Design (formerly Project Falcon) is a purpose built wind tunnel simulator available in Revit that lets you visualize how wind interacts with a building or group of buildings. Flow Design quickly models wind behavior around an exterior and provides an understanding of where there may be risks of elevated wind speeds or where there may be stagnant areas that affect air quality or comfort.

Visit

Aerodynamics in Racing

Great site about the STEM concepts in F1 racing.

Visit

What are Wind Tunnels

This resources is part of the NASA Knows! (Grades 5-8) series

Visit

Aeronautical Velocity Challenge Facebook Page

The Australian Aeronautical Velocity Challenge (AAVC) is a STEM initiative focused on addressing Australia’s shortage of scientists and engineers.

Visit

Excite and Educate

Rocketman allows some difficult to understand engineering concepts like centre of mass, centre of pressure, moment of inertia, pressure versus volume, lift, drag and thrust to be demonstrated concretely using a model constructed from recycled PET bottles. The student is able to launch their models for no cost to enable them to apply, test and refine their understanding to improve their design. The making of bottle rocket projects is done in a project based learning environment to maximise student centred outcomes while still allowing the classroom teacher to be a technology mentor.

Visit

Designability - Skylap

The Skylap design project will be the best project you run all year. Your students design and make a flying aircraft and test it using the PowerAnchor.

Visit