Resources

STEM

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.nasa.gov
Resources

Aeronautics

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Where in the Air?

https://www.nasa.gov/

aeroresearch/stem/

where-in-the-air-activities

Students will learn about 

the layers of Earth’s atmosphere and what flies 

or can be found in each 

layer. This activity is great 

for individuals or groups.

Science Behind 

Quadcopters

Teacher’s Guide: 

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/

default/files/atoms/files/

aam-science-behindquadcopters-educatorguide_1.pdf

Student’s Guide: 

https://www.nasa.gov/

sites/default/files/atoms/

files/aam-science-behindquadcopters-studentguide_1.pdf

Did you ever wonder how a 

quadcopter-type drone can 

move in all different directions using only propellers 

that face in the same direction? This activity will teach 

you how it is done!

Seeing Sound

https://www.nasa.gov/

sites/default/files/atoms/

files/seeing_sound_k8-v2_0.pdf

We often teach about 

sound being made of 

waves, but students have 

a hard time envisioning 

this. This activity makes 

it possible for students to 

actually visualize sound 

waves in motion.

Four Forces

https://www.nasa.gov/

sites/default/files/atoms/

files/four_forces_5_8.pdf

Flight may seem magical to some students, 

but most students can 

understand the science 

behind flight. This activity 

introduces students to 

the basic forces involved 

in flight.

Aeronautics for 

Introductory Physics

https://www.nasa.gov/

aeroresearch/resources/

k-12/introductory-physics

This textbook style 

resource contains a 

wealth of information for 

high schoolers learning 

about physics.

Fan-tastic Forces

https://www.nasa.gov/

stem-ed-resources/

fan-tastic-forces.html

In this activity, students 

experiment with different 

shapes to see how much 

drag they create in a 

wind stream.

Bernoulli’s 

Principle

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/

default/files/atoms/files/

bernoullis_principle_k-4-

02-09-17-508.pdf

Bernoulli’s principle is an 

extremely important concept 

in flight (as well as other 

applications). The activities 

in this lesson allow students 

to see this principle in action 

while learning more about it. 

DID YOU KNOW?

X-59

NASA’s X-59 will be a 

supersonic plane that 

doesn’t produce a loud 

sonic boom. Instead, 

it will create a series of 

quieter sonic “thumps.” 

It’s intended to prove 

that using scientific 

principles, quiet supersonic flight is possible.

www.nasa.gov
Resources

Aeronautics

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Package Delivery 

Drone Simulation

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/

default/files/atoms/files/

aam-package-deliverydrone-simulation-activityguide_0.pdf

In this Scratch coding 

activity, students program 

the flight path of a delivery drone so that it avoids 

geofenced areas.

Video: X-59 and 

How Sound Travels

https://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=IRUoL4SBIjM

This engaging video talks 

about how sound travels 

and how NASA engineers 

use this information when 

designing airplanes.

Aeronautics AR

Apple Version: 

https://apps.apple.com/

us/app/aeronautics-ar/

id1473958826

Android Version: 

https://play.google.com/

store/apps/details?id=com.

aeronauticsar.nasa

This augmented reality 

(AR) app is available for 

either Apple or Android 

devices and allows you 

to view some of NASA’s 

X-planes in the area 

around you.

Make Your Own 

Battery 

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/

default/files/atoms/files/

power_it_up.pdf

This activity guides students 

through the process of 

creating a working battery 

using common household 

resources.

Attack of the Drones 

– Coding Activity

https://www.nasa.gov/

sites/default/files/atoms/

files/aam-attack-of-thedrones-coding-activityguide_0.pdf

This activity takes students 

through the process of 

coding a side scrolling game 

before challenging them to 

add to it.

Light-Up Paper 

Helicopter

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/

default/files/atoms/files/

x-57-maxwell-circuitsstudent-activities.pdf

Teach students about 

simple circuitry as they 

build a paper circuit on a 

paper helicopter template. 

Mars Perseverance 

Parachute Coding 

Activity

https://www.nasa.gov/

aeroresearch/stem/marsperseverance-parachutecoding-activity

In this activity, you will 

learn how JPL engineers 

used a binary code to 

include a hidden message 

in the parachute used to 

help the Mars rover, Perseverance, land successfully on Mars.

Video: NASA Mars Helicopter Technology 

Demonstration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOMQOqKRWjU

This video discusses some of the technology used on 

NASA’s Mars Perseverance, the first helicopter to fly on 

another planet.

DID YOU KNOW?

X-57

NASA’s X-57 is an airplane powered completely by batteries. The technologies and verification 

and testing processes 

used for this plane will be 

instrumental in creating 

future aircraft that are 

environmentally friendly.

www.nasa.gov
Resources

Aeronautics

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Circuits Activity

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/

default/files/atoms/files/x57-maxwell-circuitsstudent-activities.pdf

Students learn about basic 

circuits while creating a 

paper helicopter that 

lights up.

X-Plane Glider 

Design Challenge

https://www.nasa.gov/

stem-ed-resources/x-planeglider-design-challenge.html

Students use household 

items and apply the engineering design process to 

create X-plane gliders that 

can fly at least 3 meters 

and must remain intact 

when landing.

Air Taxi Design 

Challenge

Educator Guide: 

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/

default/files/atoms/files/

aam-air-taxi-designchallenge-educatorguide_0.pdf

Student Guide: 

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/

default/files/atoms/files/

aam-air-taxi-designchallenge-studentguide_0.pdf

Students learn about 

futuristic air taxis, come 

up with a design for an 

air taxi, and then make a 

model of their design.

Explore Flight – 

Wind Tunnels

Educator Guide: 

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/

default/files/atoms/files/

wind-tunnels-educatorguide-v2.pdf

Student Guide: 

https://www.nasa.gov/

sites/default/files/atoms/

files/wind-tunnels-studentguide-v2.pdf

Students use an easyto-build wind tunnel to 

test the performance of a 

plane they design.

Drag and Aircraft 

Design

https://www.nasa.gov/

sites/default/files/atoms/

files/drag-and-aircraftdesign-lesson-sm.pdf

Through a series of simple 

hands-on activities, students learn about engineering design, drag and 

why these are important to 

aeronautical engineers.

Make an Aeolipile 

(Hero Engine)

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/

default/files/atoms/files/ 

make_an_aeolipile.pdf

In this activity, you will 

explore how thrust is 

produced by creating a 

Hero Engine.

Make Your Own 

X-59

https://www.nasa.gov/

sites/default/files/atoms/

files/make_your_own_

x-59_directions.pdf

Students construct a 

paper airplane version of 

the X-59. 

Video: Sonic Booms and the X-59

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmXdeov-nYo

In this video, you can learn how NASA engineers are working on a quiet supersonic airplane.

DID YOU KNOW?

TTBW

The Transonic TrussBraced Wing (TTBW) 

aircraft will be a full-scale 

technology demonstrator 

X-plane used to test new 

green technologies and 

solve the challenges of 

integrating those technologies to prove their 

benefits in flight.

www.nasa.gov
Resources

Aeronautics

Flight Control Math Mystery Picture 

Graphing Activities

Sonic Boom Flight 

Recommendations

Links for all the Flight 

Control Math Lessons 

can be found at:

https://www.nasa.gov/

aeroresearch/stem/AAM

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/

default/files/atoms/files/seeing_

sound_k-8-v2_0.pdf

Educator Guide: 

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/

files/atoms/files/x-59-performanceassessmen-educator.pdf

Student’s Guide: 

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/

files/atoms/files/supersonic-flightrecommendations.pdf

Data File: 

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/

files/atoms/files/supersonic_aircraft_

data_file.xlsx

Students use authentic data to 

determine how airplanes react at 

different speeds.

This series of lessons use advanced 

air mobility (AAM) to have students 

complete a series of math exercises.

• Flight Control Math 1 (Graphing)

• Flight Control Math 2 (Using the 

Distance Formula)

• Flight Control Math 3 (Using the 

Distance and Speed Formulas)

• Flight Control Math 4 (Using the 

Pythagorean Theorem)

• Flight Control Math 5 (Finding the 

Equation of a Line and the Point 

of Intersection for Two Lines)

Reveal the mystery aircraft by 

plotting points on an x-y graph 

and then connecting the dots. 

Noise – Speed of 

Sound

Smart Skies – 

LineUp With Math

Living in the Age of 

Airplanes Educator 

Guide

https://www.nasa.gov/

sites/default/files/atoms/

files/speed_of_sound_

9-12.pdf

https://smartskies.nasa.

gov/lineup/index.html

https://www.nasa.gov/

sites/default/files/files/

Living-in-the-age-of-airplanes-resource-guide.pdf

This activity, which is designed for high schoolers, 

allows students to collect 

data and calculate the 

speed of sound.

Problem sets and handson math activities teach 

students about distance, 

rate, and time through 

the lens of air traffic 

control.

To accompany the documentary Living in the Age 

of Airplanes, four algebra 

and geometry activities 

use flight paths, flying and 

walking speed, and air 

traffic control to engage 

students in real-world 

math problems.

The vision of AAM is that 

of a safe, accessible, automated, and affordable air 

transportation system for 

people and cargo capable 

of serving previously hardto-reach urban and rural 

locations, using revolutionary new aircraft only now 

becoming possible.

Advanced Air 

Mobility

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.nasa.gov

DID YOU KNOW?