RESOURCE GUIDEBOOK FOR EDUCATORS
Islamic Contributions to Flight
Lesson/Activity Title: 7.06 Islamic Contributions to Flight
Created by: Arooj Arslan and Salma Nakhuda
Recommended Grade(s): Grade 2 (must be adapted) or Grade 6
Time Needed – Execution: 4 - 8 periods (40 mins each)
Links to the accompanying Slidedeck, Worksheet, Rubric and Escape Room Acitivity provided in the Lesson plan below.
Background:
With the advancements in Science & Technology, we need to acknowledge and credit the long chain of scientists, engineers, and inventors who spent their lives in exploration leading up to these advancements. To highlight some of the contributions made by the Muslim Civilization in the middle ages, we have created a series of 5 lessons to introduce K-12 students to some of the significant contributions made by Muslim scientists and inventors in the fields of Engineering, Physics, Astronomy, and Mathematics.
Lessons in these series:
7.06 Islamic Contributions to Flight
7.07 Islamic Inventions: Machines Using Cranks
7.08 Engineering of Domes in Islamic Architecture
7.09 Islamic Contributions: Camera Obscura
7.10 Astronomy and Space: Build a Sundial
Curriculum Expectations:
Grade 2
Science
Describe different ways in which objects move
Identify ways in which the position of an object can be changed
Investigate and describe different kinds of movement
Grade 6
Science
Use technological problem-solving skills to design, build, and test a flying device
Follow established safety procedures for using tools and materials and operating flying devices
Describe ways in which flying devices or living things use unbalanced forces to control their flight
Describe ways in which the four forces of flight can be altered
Objectives of the Lesson:
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Connect the contributions of Islamic Scientist Abbas Ibn Firnas to modern day flight
Design, build and test a flying machine that stays in the air for a certain period of time/travels a certain distance.
Success Criteria:
I have drawn a diagram of my flying device.
I have clearly labelled all the materials I will use.
My writing and my diagram are clear, detailed, and well organized.
I have shown the design improvements after testing my flying device.
I can explain how the four forces of flight help my device fly.
Materials and Preparation Needed:
Projector
Have recyclable materials ready in Makerspace for students to use. Recommended materials:
cardboard
styrofoam
paper
lids
balloons
plastic bags,straws
popsicle sticks/skewers
glue gun/glue
tape, scissors, ruler
tissue paper
string
measuring tape
stopwatches
Vocabulary:
flight, glide, propel, drag, thrust, gravity, lift, aerodynamics, compress
LESSON
Minds-on
(40 minutes)
Watch the following video clip with the students: 1001 Inventions and the Library of Secrets - Sir Ben Kingsley. Using think/pair/share, ask the students to discuss with a partner:
Why do you think that time period was known as the dark ages in Europe?
Why was the same time period known as the golden ages of Science in the Islamic world? (Answer: “In Muslim civilization, which stretched from Spain to China, science was studied from previous civilizations and other cultures under the umbrella of Muslim culture and civilization. They built upon this knowledge and in turn passed on the achievements to the modern world. This period was known as the Golden Age.” (Al-Hassani, 2012))
Students will then work in pairs on the Escape Room Activity which introduces students to the contributions of Abbas Ibn Firnas to the study of Flight and invention of flying machines. It also introduces the students to the Design Thinking Process. Students can click on the prompts spread throughout the room to unlock the computer (The yellow question mark will take the students to a Google Form with the questions. The google form is not collecting student names or email addresses.)
Action
(4-6 periods)
Testing-1 period
Students will work in pairs or groups of three for this activity. Students can sketch and label a rough draft of their flying device on the worksheet (link). Prompt the students with the following questions while they are drawing their flying devices:
Is your design symmetrical?
Would that be important?
Why did you decide to use these materials?
Did you consider the weight of the materials when they are put together in your flying device?
How might you redesign this draft to show your improvements?
The students will then begin to build their flying device.
Once the students have built their device, they will test it and then make improvements. Prompt the students with following questions:
How can you make it travel further?
How can you make it stay in the air longer?
What can you adjust in the materials or design to make it perform better? (Change the angle of the wings? Change the shape of the device to make it more aerodynamic? Try different materials?)
Students will continue to test the distance their flying device travels or how long it stays in the air until they are satisfied that their flying device is working properly.
Consolidation
Share the student devices and charts in a gallery walk. Come back together as a class and ask the students:
When you change your design to make it better, which step of the design thinking process is it? Which steps in the design thinking process were the most important for you while working with your group?
If you were going to create another flying device and you were allowed to make only one change, what would you add/remove/change in your flying device?
There are many scientists and inventors who went through the design process in order to create the complex flying devices that we use today. We need to acknowledge and credit the long chain of scientists, engineers, and inventors who spent their lives working to advance science and technology. The flying devices that we use today would not have been possible without their contributions.
Assessment:
Observation of how the students use the design thinking process to design and test their device.
Anecdotal notes of how science terminology was used in the design process.
Additional Resources from TDSB Virtual Library
LibGuides for Grade 6 - Science & Technology: Flight (/bit.ly/LibGuidesGr6Flight)
LibGuides for Grade 2 -Science & Technology: Movement (bit.ly/LibGuidesGr2 )
LibGuides for Grade 2 - Science & Technology: Air and Water in the Environment (bit.ly/LibGuidesGr2ihm )
General Virtual Library Search Grade 6 Structures & Mechanisms: Flight
Britannica School Links for vocabulary: glide, thrust, lift, Aerodynamics (password available on TDSB Virtual Library website)
Opportunities for Modifications and Extensions:
Pre-teach the vocabulary using images for younger students, English Language Learners, and Special Education.
For Gr 2 students, the lesson can be adapted by building only paper airplanes or gliders.
Provide students with the following video clip (bit.ly/ihmVideo ) to help them with their designs. Have the students compare the performance of the 3 plane designs and decide which features help the paper planes remain in the air the longest.
Students can create a flying device that carries additional loads (paper clips) to demonstrate passengers.
References:
Al-Hassani, S. (2012). 1001 Inventions: the enduring legacy of Muslim civilization (3rd ed.). National Geographic.
Al-Hassani, S. (2012). 1001 Inventions and Awesome Facts from Muslim Civilization. National Geographic.
1001Inventions. (2020). 1001 Inventions and the Library of Secrets-Sie Ben Kingsley [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/SxJ2OC7iXo0
Background Knowledge:
The activity above is a consolidation activity at the end of the unit. Students should already be familiar with following concepts:
What are some characteristics and adaptations that enable birds to fly? What are the properties of air?
Describe some of the design elements (bat’s wings, keys of a maple tree, glider)
What are the four forces of flight?
What are some forces that act on an airplane?
What are the three types of motion (yaw, pitch, roll) of an airplane?