The Wright Brothers: The First to Fly...or were they?

So as I've mentioned, I'm a History nerd, and as we discussed in last week's TechTuesday post I think teaching technological advancement within historical context is a great way to blend the two subjects together. This video produced by Smithsonian Education delves into man's obsession with Flight.

This is a supplemental video that will begin the discussion of Engineering and Advances in Technology alongside History. If you are a grade school teacher, this may be a resource for you to pull ideas from, rather than watch in class, but for some it may hold the attention of younger students.

For middle school and high school teachers, I'd say that if you are beginning units discussing WWI and the transformation of warfare because of the airplane this could be a great cornerstone to discuss the the epicenter of that breakthrough.

Listen as Dr. John Anderson, curator of aerodynamics at the National Air and Space Museum, describes their inventive process. This video series, "Explore with Smithsonian Experts," connects students and teachers with the skill and technique of Smithsonian experts who describe their work at our nation's museums. In each short film, experts introduce new ways to observe, record, research, and share, while using real artifacts and work experiences. Supports Common Core ELA standards. Produced by the Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access and Pearson Foundation.