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Jan 21

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Project Based Learning (PBL)

Aerospace Lesson 2 (Jan 21, 2026)

Todo: Create a journal document (.docx) as you curate the information that you gather and learn about this course and how they align with the standards: 

  1. AOPA - Your Freedom to Fly - AOPA

  2. Common Core Math - Common Core State Standards Initiative – Preparing America’s Students for College & Career, Math Standards.indb

  3. CTE - ED597308.pdf, 

  4. FAA - Federal Aviation Administration

  5. ISTE - iste.org

  6. ITEEA - Standards - International Technology and Engineering Educators Association.

  7. NGSS - Home Page | Next Generation Science Standards

  8. NSTA - Homepage | NSTA

  9. NCTM - Index - National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

  10. PLTW - Career Readiness Through STEM & CTE Curriculum | PLTW

    For sample see High school aerospace standards.docx.

3)     Assignment/Project (due Jan 29,2026):

  1. Introduction to Aerospace-History and Overview of Aerospace Engineering-Magic School-PBL-1.docx
  2. Introduction to Aerospace-History and Overview of Aerospace Engineering-Magic School-RB-1.docx

Some suggested topics:

  1. Origins of flight and early history (before 1900?)
  2. Aviation Development (1903-1945?)
  3. The Space Age Begins (1945-1970?), Apollo, Reuseable spacecraft, Artemis, Commercial
  4. Modern Aerospace (1970?-Present)
  5. Commercial Aviation - Airliners, General Aviation
  6. World War I & II and Military aviation
  7. Propulsion

4)     Homework:

  1. Decide on history timeline project by next class.
  2. Questions:
  3. Find at least at least 4 more aviation people/pioneer other than Sir George Cayley and Montgolfier Brothers.
  4. If you were an airline scheduler, how would you design flight schedules for long-haul routes? Discuss how departure time (day vs. night) and direction of travel (eastbound vs. westbound) would influence scheduling decisions for routes. For example: Europe and East Asia (China, Korea, Japan), North America and Europe, northen and southern hemisphere (Australia and East Asia).

Consider the following in your response:

  1. Departure Time
  2. Would you schedule flights primarily during the day or at night?
  3. How do passenger convenience and airport operating hours influence this decision?
  4. Direction of Travel:
  5. How does flying eastbound versus westbound affect flight duration and arrival times?
  6. How would these effects influence your scheduling choices?
  7. Jet Streams and Weather:
  8. How do jet streams impact flight time, fuel consumption, and routing?
  9. Which directions benefit most from jet stream assistance?
  10. Human Factors and Circadian Rhythm:
  11. How do time zone changes and jet lag affect passengers and crew?
  12. How might you schedule flights to reduce fatigue and improve comfort?
  13. Operational and Economic Factors:
  14. How do fuel efficiency, crew duty limits, aircraft utilization, and airport congestion affect scheduling decisions?
  15. Passenger Demand and Market Needs:
  16. How would business travel, leisure travel, and connecting flights influence departure and arrival times?
  17. Technology and Simulation (Optional Extension)
  18. Using a flight simulator, compare eastbound and westbound flights on the same route.
  19. What differences do you observe in flight time, fuel use, and arrival local time?
  20. Additional factors.

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