The Wright Way:The Process of InventionThe Wright Way:The Process of Invention

OhioBirthplaceof Aviation

Wilbur Wright(1867-1912)

18781892

1900

1901

1901

1902

Dec. 17, 1903

1904

1905

Orville Wright(1871-1948)

Huffman PrairieDayton, Ohio

Susan and Milton Wright

Dayton, OH

The Flying Toy: A small toy “helicopter”—made of wood with two twisted rubber bandsto turn a small propeller—that the Wrightbrothers played with as small boys. The Bicycle Business: The Wright brothers

opened a bicycle store in 1892. Theirexperience with bicycles aided them in theirinvestigations of flight.

The Solution: At Kill Devil Hills, NC, in themorning, the Wright 1903 Flyer became thefirst powered, heavier-than-air machine toachieve controlled, sustained flight.

The Search for Control: From their observationsof how buzzards kept their balance, the Wrightbrothers began their aeronautical research in1899 with a kite/glider. In 1900, they built theirfirst glider designed to carry a pilot.

The Wright 1904 Flyer: The Wrights’ secondpowered airplane, flown at Huffman Prairie,achieved the first circular flight of an air-plane. Stability was still a problem.

The Wright 1905 Flyer: This Flyer was theworld’s first practical airplane—a machine thatcould bank, circle, turn, and fly figure eights.

Controlling the Aircraft: The key to solving thecontrol problem was the addition of a rudderto the glider design. This allowed the Wrightsto develop a powered aircraft.

The Wind Tunnel: The Wrights tested smallmodel wings in a wind tunnel that enabledthem to calculate the wing shape and size thatwould be required to lift them into the air.

The 1901 Glider: The Wright brothers 1901Glider enabled them to spend more time in theair and to uncover additional design problems.

Wilbur and Orville WrightInventors

Wilbur and Orville Wright placed their names firmly in the hall of greatAmerican inventors with the creation of the world’s first successfulpowered, heavier-than-air machine to achieve controlled, sustained flightwith a pilot aboard. The age of powered flight began with the Wright 1903Flyer on December 17, 1903, at Kill Devil Hills, NC. The Wright brothersbegan serious experimentation in aeronautics in 1899 and perfected acontrollable craft by 1905. In six years, the Wrights had used remarkable creativity and originality to provide technical solutions, practical mechanicaldesign tools, and essential components that resulted in a profitable aircraft.They did much more than simply get a flying machine off the ground. Theyestablished the fundamental principles of aircraft design and engineering inplace today. In 1908 and 1909, they demonstrated their flying machine pub-licly in the United States and Europe. By 1910, the Wright Company wasmanufacturing airplanes for sale. Despite the Wrights’ dramatic jump ahead,others quickly caught up to Wilbur and Orville Wright and surpassed theirdesigns. They accomplished their goals by themselves and relied on theirown questions, hypotheses, experiments, research, observations, inferences,and conclusions. The Wright brothers tested and failed repeatedly. Theyendured disappointment and hardships to realize their dream of inventing aflying machine, the airplane. They did not just fulfill their goals but ushered ina new era of air and space exploration.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.centennialofflight.govwww.centennialofflight.gov

About the PosterThis poster was designed to honor theaccomplishments of the Wright brothers,two brilliant, self-trained engineers fromOhio who designed, built, and flew thefirst power-driven, heavier-than-airmachine in which humans made free, controlled, and sustained flight.

The centennial of powered flight presents aunique opportunity to focus on the historicalsignificance of the aviation-related eventsleading up to, and following, December 17,1903. More importantly, the 100th anniver-sary of flight will inspire a new generation of

inventors, innovators, and dreamers. In thespan of a single century, the vision, persis-tence, and ingenuity of many have taken usfrom the first powered flight on the sanddunes of North Carolina’s outer banks to a permanent presence in space.

In honor of the 100th anniversary of flight,the U.S. Congress established theCentennial of Flight Commission. TheCommission encourages, enables, andamplifies the efforts of all the organizationsand individuals planning to celebrate theachievements of the Wright brothers and a

century of powered flight by serving as a central resource and a catalyst for activities. The Commission is encouragingand promoting national and internationalparticipation in the commemoration of thecentennial of powered flight by the public;educators and students; Federal, State,and local government officials; the mili-tary; members of civic and cultural organi-zations; and members of the aviation andaerospace industry. A list of organizationsthat are working with the Commissionerscan be found at http://www.centennialofflight.gov/partners

We invite you to visit the U.S. Centennial ofFlight Commission’s Web site(http://www.centennialofflight.gov),where you will find a vast array of infor-mation about the history of aviation andaerospace. A few examples of what can befound on the site include a searchable cal-endar that features upcoming events relatedto aviation and aerospace with a “Submit anEvent” button that allows event planners topost information. Essays can be found underthe “History of Flight” section of the Website. Under “For Educators and Students,”you will find posters, a downloadable book-mark, and an Educational Resources Matrixwith hundreds of aviation and aerospace-related education links. This is where youwill be able to locate curriculum materials,information about workshops, scholarships,museums, and much more. Pictures, films,and special collections are located underthe Sights and Sounds of Aviation categoryof the site. New materials are continuouslybeing added to the site so be sure to visitoften and check out “What’s New.”

To the EducatorThe purpose of this poster is to help youinspire, educate, and encourage your stu-dents to learn about the Wright brothers,the celebration of the 100th anniversary of flight, and the history of aviation andaerospace. The classroom activities aredesigned to provide hands-on experiencesfor your students that relate to some of the scientific processes employed by theWright brothers. The resources listedthroughout this poster will help you andyour students locate additional informa-tion, educational products, and activitiesrelated to the Wright brothers and the history of aviation and aerospace.

A Few Questions To Get YourStudents StartedThe state motto of Ohio is “The Birthplaceof Aviation.” Why was that motto chosen?Where did the Wright brothers live? Whatdid they do? When did they become inter-ested in aviation? What did they do to further their knowledge about aviation?Read “The Wright Brothers’ Story” on thisposter to find out why the pictures on the front of this poster are significant.

Why is the State of North Carolina known as“First in Flight.” Why did the Wright brotherstravel from Ohio to North Carolina? How didthey get there? How often did they go toNorth Carolina? How longdid they stay? Where didthey live? Were theirmachines transportedfrom one State to theother, and if so, how?

Celebrating a Century of Powered FlightThe Wright brothers turned their dreams into reality and revolutionized the world.

Although the States of Ohio and NorthCarolina are well known for early develop-ments in aviation, many people from otherStates and countries around the world werethinking about flight, building aircraft, andconducting experiments before, during, andafter the Wright brothers’ involvement inflight. Who were these people? Where didthey live? What contributions did theymake? Study your State’s aviation and aerospace history. Discuss how theadvances in aviation and aerospace duringthe past 100 years have affected you andyour family. Imagine what changes willoccur in aviation and aerospace in the next100 years. Design a poster representing thehistory of aviation and aerospace in yourState. Create a calendar with informationabout significant people, places, and histor-ical aviation and aerospace events in yourState. Share your poster and calendar withothers in your school, community, or State.Send an electronic copy of your poster andyour calendar to the Centennial of FlightCommission’s Web site e-mail address:centennialofflightadmin@hq.nasa.govPlan your own centennial of flight celebra-tion. If your event meets the criteria forinclusion on the Commission’s calendar,complete and submit the electronic formfound on the Web site.

The Process ofInventionOrville and Wilbur Wright were masters ofinquiry. Inquiry is a multifaceted activity thatinvolves making observations; posing ques-tions; examining books and other sources of

information; planning investigations; usingtools to gather, analyze, and interpret data;proposing answers, explanations, and pre-dictions; and communicating the results.The Wright brothers used critical and logicalthinking skills when considering alternativetheories of aviation.

Students should engage in inquiry as theycome to know the natural world and even-tually develop the capacity to conduct com-plete inquiries. Students should develop anunderstanding of what science is, what science is not, what science can and cannotdo, and how science contributes to culture.Students need to become scientifically lit-erate citizens with an understanding ofthe nature of science and its relationshipto mathematics and technology.

“Scientific literacy means that a personcan ask, find, or determine answers toquestions derived from curiosity abouteveryday experiences. It means that a person has the ability to describe, explain,and predict natural phenomena. Scientificliteracy entails being able to read withunderstanding articles about science inthe press and to engage in social conver-sation about the validity of the conclu-sions. Scientific literacy has differentdegrees and forms; it expands and deep-ens over a lifetime, not just during theyears in school. Attitudes and valuesestablished toward science in the earlyyears will shape a person’s developmentof scientific literacy as an adult.”

History andNature of ScienceWhat is the nature of science? When doyou teach what? What should students beable to understand and do? What is the roleof the teacher? How is history important tothe understanding of science? Society?Cultures? Technological advances? To findanswers to these questions and guidelinesto help you develop your students’ under-standing of science, visit the NationalScience Education Standards Web site athttp://www.nap.edu/html/nses/html/

Poster CreditsThis poster was developed by the NASAHeadquarters’ Education Division, Office ofHuman Resources and Education, Frank C.Owens, Director of Education. AnneHolbrook, NASA Einstein Fellow, createdthe poster with oversight from DebbieGallaway, Assistant Director of Programs forthe U.S. Centennial of Flight Commissionand William E. Anderson, PartnershipManager for Education, Office of AerospaceTechnology. The following individuals wereconsulted during the development of theposter: Linda Hallenbeck, Teacher inResidence for Governor Bob Taft of Ohio,and Karen Garr, Teacher in Residence forGovernor Jim Hunt of North Carolina.

The following individuals and organizationsprovided images and/or informationthat were used on “The Wright Way: TheProcess of Invention” poster:

Fred Fisk, author of The Wright Brothersfrom Bicycle to Biplane, provided theimage of the “Wright Bros. Cycle” ad fromHigh School Times, April, 1897.

Ted Huetter, at the Dryden Flight ResearchCenter Education office, provided ideas and aircraft images.

The Library of Congress archives provided the Wind Tunnel image.

The National Air and Space Museum,Smithsonian Institution, provided theimages A-4189 and A-442710. Specialthanks to Kate Igoe, Thomas Crouch, andPeter Jakab for their wealth of knowledgeand assistance.

The National Research Council providedtheir research and publication of theNational Science Education Standards, bythe National Academy Press.

Wright State Archives, Dayton, OH,provided images for the poster. Specialthanks to Jane Wildermuth and DawnDewey for their dedication.

Attention High School Students!The NASA Summer High SchoolApprenticeship Research Program (SHARP)and SHARP PLUS are research-based men-torship programs. Check them out!http://education.nasa.gov/sharp and http://education.nasa.gov/sharp.plus

Special Theme For2002–03 and 2003–04

School Years

Science and Technology Journalism

Grades K–1: ClassGrades 2–4: Class or Teams of 2–4Grades 5–12: Individuals or Teams of 2–4

The Wright QuestCelebrate a century of flight!Discover the past, invent the future!

Reflecting Upon the Adventures of Flight:What happened on a cold windswept beach near Kitty Hawk, NC, on December 17,1903? What were the events leading up to this milestone? How did this event changethe world? Who are others who have or are exploring the fundamentals of flight?What are the benefits to our world? What is the future of aviation? What research ishappening right now? Inventions? Can you predict future aviation milestones?

Learning Objectives:Share scientific and technical achievements in a manner that is accurate, engaging,and informative—one that speaks to the inner spirit of exploration and discovery.

Procedure:1. Develop a news report using one of the following media:

• Print—An article with relevant photos, illustrations, or other graphics, laid out for publication.

• VHS videotape—A 5-minute report in your choice of format (e.g., newscast, investigative or special report, or documentary).

2. Submit documentation about investigation and production methods.3. Complete, sign, and send a) an entry form, b) an educator data form,

and c) checklists.

Go to NASA for theme resources:http://www.aerospace.nasa.gov/centuryofflight

For complete details and to obtain anentry form, competition rules, checklist,judging rubric, and resource guide,please visit http://education.nasa.gov/nsip. Any questions? Send an e-mail toinfo@nsip.net or call 1-800-848-8429.

Robert E. Lucas Intermediate School,Cincinnati, OH

The NASA Student Involvement Program (NSIP)

The Flying ToyWilbur (1867-1912) and Orville Wright(1871-1948) were brothers. They lived inDayton, OH, at 7 Hawthorn Street. Theirolder brothers were Reuchlin and Lorin.Katharine was their younger sister. Theirfather, Milton, was a bishop in the Churchof the United Brethren in Christ. Theirmother, Susan, the daughter of a wagonmaker, made toys for her children andencouraged their curiosity. One day, BishopWright brought home a small toy “heli-copter” made of wood with two twistedrubber bands to turn a small propeller.Wilbur and Orville played with it until itbroke, then made new copies of the toythemselves. They also sold toys to theirfriends, including handmade kites. TheWright brothers did things together fromthe time they were small boys.

The Bicycle BusinessThe Wright brothers went into the printingbusiness together in 1889. Three yearslater, they opened their first bicycle shop.Initially, they sold and repaired bicycles.They would replace spokes, fix brokenchains, and sell accessories. In 1896, theybegan to build their own brand of bicycles.The Wright brothers’ experiences with bicy-cles aided them in their investigations offlight. They used the technology theylearned from their bicycle business in theirairplanes: chains, sprockets, spoke wires,ball bearings, and wheel hubs. Theirthoughts on balancing and controlling theiraircraft were also rooted in their experienceas cyclists.

The Search for ControlOrville and Wilbur Wright were convincedof the need to control an aircraft in three

axes of motion. An elevator, or horizontalcontrol surface, in front of the wings ontheir aircraft, enabled the pilot to controlclimb and descent (pitch axis). The elevatorwas controlled by a lever in the pilot’s lefthand. A “wingwarping” system controlledthe aircraft in a roll (roll axis). To initiate aroll, the pilot would shift his hips from sideto side in a cradle on the lower wing, “twist-ing” the wings left or right or restoring themto level flight. Orville and Wilbur developedthis idea from observing birds in flight. Theyobserved the buzzards keeping their bal-ance by twisting their wings and sometimescurving one wing more than the other. In1902, the brothers added a vertical rudderto the rear of their machine to control theleft and right motion of the nose of the air-craft (yaw axis).

The Kite/Glider ExperimentsThe Wright brothers began their aeronau-tical research in 1899. Their first aircraftwas a small kite with a 5-foot wingspanthat was used to test their notions of aircraft control. In 1900, they built theirfirst machine designed to carry a pilot andchose Kitty Hawk, NC, as a suitable testingground. With its strong steady winds, openareas, and tall sandy dunes, the area wasperfect for their experiments. When their1900 aircraft produced less lift thanexpected, the Wright brothers flew it as akite and gathered information that wouldenable them to design improved machines.They returned to Kitty Hawk in 1901 with a new glider that did not perform as theyexpected. While they had learned a greatdeal with their first two machines, they hadalso encountered new puzzles and dangers.

The Wind TunnelTo simulate flight conditions, the Wrightstested small model wings in a wind tunnelthey had built. The wind tunnel was a boxwith a fan at one end that blew a steadystream of air over model wings mounted ona special “balance” inside the tunnel. Usingthis device, the brothers were able to gath-er information that could be used to designthe wings of the gliders and powered air-craft that would carry them into the air.The wind tunnel provided them with infor-mation on the most satisfactory wingshape. It also enabled them to calculate thesize of wing that would be required to liftthem into the air, the performance of theirpropellers, and the amount of power thattheir engine would have to produce. Theybased the design of their next glider on thisinformation.

Controlling the AircraftDuring the 1901 glider tests, the Wrightbrothers had discovered that “wingwarp-ing” created unequal drag on the twowings. Key to solving the control problemwas the addition of a rudder to the gliderdesign in 1902. They developed a directlinkage between the rudder and warpingsystem. With the success of this systemdesign, the Wrights were ready to moveonto a powered aircraft.

The SolutionAt Kill Devil Hills, NC, at 10:35 am, theWright 1903 Flyer took off under its ownpower with Orville as the pilot. It flew 12seconds and went a distance of 37 meters.Orville and Wilbur took turns making threemore flights that morning. Wilbur was atthe controls for the fourth and longestflight, traveling 260 meters in 59 seconds.

The Wright 1903 Flyer became the firstpowered, heavier-than-air machine toachieve controlled, sustained flight with apilot aboard. Today, this amazing flyinginvention can be viewed as it is suspendedoverhead, at the National Air and SpaceMuseum in Washington, DC.(http://www.nasm.edu/nasm/nasmexh.html)

The Wright 1904 FlyerHaving achieved success in North Carolina,the Wright brothers decided to continuetheir experiments closer to home. They builtand flew their second powered airplane atHuffman Prairie, a pasture eight miles eastof Dayton, OH. Progress was slow withoutthe strong, steady winds of Kitty Hawk, butthe brothers did achieve the first circularflight of an airplane on September 20,1904. This first complete circle flight lastedonly 1 minute 36 seconds and covered1,244 meters. Stability problems stillplagued the Wright brothers’ invention. The modifications made during 1904 helpedbut did not solve the stability problem.

The Wright 1905 FlyerThis Flyer was the world’s first practical airplane. During more than 40 flights atHuffman Prairie, the machine was repeat-edly banked, turned, circled, and flown infigure eights. On two occasions the flightexceeded half an hour. Wilbur and OrvilleWright, brilliant self-trained engineers, hadovercome complex technical problems that had barred the way to mechanicalflight for centuries. Thinkabout how their invention has changedour world!

The Wright Brother’s Story

Objectives: The students willconstruct a flying model gliderand determine its weightand balance.

Teacher background:On December 17, 1903, Wilbur andOrville Wright became the first humansto fly a controllable, powered airplane. Tounravel the mysteries of flight, the broth-ers built and experimented extensivelywith model gliders. Gliders are airplaneswithout motors or a power source.Building and flying model gliders helpedthe Wright brothers learn and understandthe importance of weight and balance inairplanes. If the weight of the airplane isnot positioned properly, the airplane willnot fly. They also learned that the designof an airplane was very important.

The Wright Flyer was the first plane tocomplete a controlled takeoff and land-ing. Airplanes use control surfaces tomanage flight direction. Elevators arecontrol surfaces that make the nose ofthe airplane move up and down. A rudderis used to move the nose of the aircraftleft and right. On modern airplanes,ailerons are used to roll the airplane intoa turn. The Flyer used a technique calledwingwarping to initiate a turn.

In research and development, model air-craft are used to develop new concepts,create new designs, and test ideas in avi-ation. Some models fly by remote con-trol, others are tested in wind tunnels.Information learned from models is animportant part of NASA’s aeronautical

research program. The goals of researchare to make aircraft fly safer, perform bet-ter, and become more efficient.

This activity is designed to help studentslearn about basic aircraft design and toexplore the effects of weight and balanceon the flight characteristics of a modelglider. Students will use science processskills to construct and fly a Styrofoam™glider. Younger students will need to havethe pieces traced and cut out for them.They should only move one surface at atime, and only after they have had anopportunity to “play” with their glider.Older students should also have theopportunity to test their gliders to betterunderstand the control surfaces wellenough to set up experimentallydesigned tests. The data will be sharedwithin the group/class via detailed designdrawings and graphs. Students should beencouraged to modify the glider forlonger/higher/straighter flights.

Building The Glider K–3 students will need assistance cutting andconstructing the glider. Older students couldact as mentors and precut the parts. Theparts can also be punched out with a plasticserrated knife, poster pin, or sharp pencil.

Construction and ExperimentationAsk students to name some materials thatmight be used to build a model glider.

Explain to students that Styrofoam™ islightweight and strong which makes it anideal material to construct model gliders.

Distribute the materials to each group ofstudents.

Explain that the template is a guide to cutout the parts for the airplane.

Use sandpaper or an emery board tosmooth the edges.

Have the students assemble the glider byinserting the wings and elevator into thefuselage slots.

The students may add personal touches.Civilian aircraft have a letter or letterspreceding the aircraft’s identificationnumber indicating the country in which itis registered. For example, Mexico uses

the letter “X” and the United States is“N.” Students may apply N-numbers totheir models. Caution the students not tothrow gliders toward other students.Eye protection is advisable.

The model glider’s weight must be bal-anced or distributed properly before itwill fly well. To demonstrate this, ask astudent to launch a glider before addingweight. Have students describe andrecord the flight characteristics.

Add weight to the model using paperclips, binder clips, or a penny. Attach thepaper clip or glue a penny to the nose ofthe glider. If a binder clip is used, attachit to the bottom of the fuselage. Ask thestudents to test fly the glider and observethe flight characteristics.

Move the weight forward or backward onthe fuselage to determine the best weightand balance for the glider. Try to find theweight and balance combination thatallows the glider to fly the greatest distance.

DiscussionAre weight and balance important on“real” aircraft?

(The total weight of the cargo andpassengers of any airplane has certainlimits and is distributed to keep the planeproperly balanced. Flights should not be attempted if an aircraft is overloaded, or if the cargo distribution makes the plane too “nose heavy” or “tail heavy.”)

foam tray

Activities for Grades K–12

Using the model glider, the students willexplain how they determined the weightand balance for their glider.

Hint: The weight of the model glider mustbe balanced before it will fly successfully.To determine the “Center of Gravity” of theglider, the model can be balanced muchlike a pencil on their finger (diagram).

Challenge for older studentsCarefully cut out the flaps and aileronsalong the solid lines. (figures on panel 7)

The Wright brothers used “wingwarping”to turn their airplane to the right or left.Modern aircraft use ailerons to initiate aroll. Ailerons work in opposition to oneanother. If the left aileron is in the upposition, the right aileron must be in thedown position and vise versa. Ask yourstudents to experiment with the aileronsby bending them up or down along thedashed lines.

Bend each flap down along the dashedline into the same position below thewing. How are the flight characteristics ofthe glider affected with the flaps in thedown position?

Set up a course for students to demon-strate the flight characteristics of their glid-ers. The students may cut off 2 cm of eachwing, and record a new series of flight test-ing data. Develop new wing designs.Research wind tunnels and build one totest various wing lengths, shapes, and sizes.

Use these NASA Educator Resourcesto teach and reinforce flight concepts:

Grades K–12The Beginner’s Guide to Aerodynamicsat http://www.lerc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/bga.htm

Grades K–2Aeronautics: An Educator’s Guide withActivities in Science, Mathematics, andTechnology Education, EG-2002-06-105-HQ.

Grades 5–8Exploring Aeronautics, a CD-ROM,includes an introduction to aeronautics,fundamentals of flight, a historical time-line, and different types of aircraft. TheCD teaches students to use the tools ofaeronautics to test aircraft designs.Developed by NASA Ames ResearchCenter, EC-1998-03-002-ARC.

Grades 9–12FoilSim, developed at the NASA GlennResearch Center, is interactive simula-tion software that determines the airflowaround various shapes of airfoils.Download from: http://www.lerc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/aerosim/

Extension ActivityDesign a space vehicle to transport people and goods to the InternationalSpace Station and beyond—applying

aeronautical principles for an aircraftdesign/model and research project.

If the Wright brothers were living today,they might be researching new forms ofpower and types of structures, conduct-ing experiments, and designing modelsto develop the new Space Shuttle. TheSpace Shuttle is the world’s firstreusable spacecraft, and the first space-craft in history that can carry large satel-lites both to and from orbit. The SpaceShuttle launches like a rocket, maneu-vers in Earth orbit like a spacecraft, andlands like an airplane. Each of the fourSpace Shuttle orbiters now in opera-tion—Columbia, Discovery, Atlantis, andEndeavour—is designed to fly at least 100missions. NASA is prepared to continueflying the Shuttle for at least the nextdecade. What will happen then?Engineers and scientists are busy at worknow on Advanced Space TransportationSystems to replace the Space Shuttle.

Apply the principles learned from theglider experiences. Take into accountcurrent experimental designs, and theWrights’ work in aerodynamics, stability,flight control, power, and structure.Design and build a model of a new aircraft to transport people and goodsto the International Space Station

and beyond. Keep in mind that NASAbelieves in developing safe, reliable, and affordable transportation. Present a report describing your investigation.

To learn more about gliders, visitthe following sites:Shuttle Basicshttp://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/basics/index.htmlNASA’s X-Glidershttp://spacelink.nasa.gov/products/X.Gliders/

X-Gliders Educational Briefhttp://spacelink.nasa.gov/products/X.Gliders/

Aerospace-Related Activities,Experiments, and Lesson Planshttp://www.lerc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/aeroact.htm

Visit the U.S. Centennial of FlightCommission’s Web site (http://www.centennialofflight.gov) to find essays about the prehistory of flight, theWright brothers, and many additional topics.The essays are located under the “History ofFlight” section of the Web site.

NASA Aeronautics Educational Projects http://www.aerospace.nasa.gov/edu/links.htm

NASA’s Central Operation of Resources for Educators (CORE)was established for the national and international distribution ofNASA-produced educational materials in multimedia format.Educators can obtain a catalogue and an order form by one of thefollowing methods:

NASA CORELorain County Joint Vocational School15181 Route 58 SouthOberlin, OH 44074-9799Phone: (440) 775-1400FAX: (440) 775-1460E-mail: nasaco@leeca.orgHome Page: http://core.nasa.gov

Educator Resource Center Network (ERCN)To make additional information available to the education commu-nity, NASA has created the NASA Educator Resource Center (ERC)network. Educators may preview, copy, or receive NASA materials atthese sites. Phone calls are welcome if you are unable to visit theERC that serves your geographic area. A list of the centers and theregions they serve includes the following:

Regional Educator Resource Centers offer more educatorsaccess to NASA educational materials. NASA has formed partner-ships with universities, museums, and other educational institutionsto serve as regional ERCs in many states. A complete list of regionalERCs is available through CORE, or electronically via NASASpacelink at http://spacelink.nasa.gov/ercn

NASA’s Education Home Page serves as the education portal forinformation regarding education programs and services offered byNASA for the American education community. This high-level direc-tory of information provides specific details and points of contact forall of NASA’s educational efforts, Field Center offices, and points ofpresence within each State. Visit this resource at the followingaddress: http://education.nasa.gov

NASA Spacelink is one of NASA’s electronic resources specificallydeveloped for the education community. Spacelink serves as an elec-tronic library to NASA’s educational and scientific resources, withhundreds of subject areas arranged in a manner familiar to educa-

tors. Using Spacelink Search, educators and students can easily find information among NASA’s thousands of Internet resources.Special events, missions, and intriguing NASA Web sites are featuredin Spacelink’s “Hot Topics” and “Cool Picks” areas. Spacelink maybe accessed at http://spacelink.nasa.gov

NASA Spacelink is the official home to electronic versions of NASA’s Educational Products. A complete listing of NASAEducational Products can be found at the following address:http://spacelink.nasa.gov/products

NASA Television (NTV) features Space Station and Shuttle missioncoverage, live special events, interactive educational live shows, electronic field trips, aviation and space news, and historical NASAfootage. Programming has a 3-hour block—Video (News) File, NASAGallery, and Education File—beginning at noon Eastern and repeatedfour more times throughout the day. Live feeds preempt regularlyscheduled programming.

Check the Internet for programs listings at http://www.nasa.gov/ntvFor more information on NTV, contactNASA TVNASA Headquarters–Code P-2Washington, DC 20546-0001Phone (202) 358-3572

NTV Weekday Programming Schedules (Eastern Times)Video File NASA Gallery Education File12–1 p.m. 1–2 p.m. 2–3 p.m.3–4 p.m. 4–5 p.m. 5–6 p.m.6–7 p.m. 7–8 p.m. 8–9 p.m.

9–10 p.m. 10–11 p.m. 11–12 p.m.12–1 a.m. 1–2 a.m. 2–3 a.m.

How to Access Information on NASA’s Education Program,Materials, and Services (EP-2002-07-345-HQ) This brochure serves as a guide to accessing a variety of NASAmaterials and services for educators. Copies are available throughthe ERC network, or electronically via NASA Spacelink.

NASA Resources for Educators

AK, Northern CA, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, WYNASA Educator Resource CenterNASA Ames Research CenterMail Stop 253-2Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000Phone: (650) 604-3574http://amesnews.arc.nasa.gov/erc/erchome.html

IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WINASA Educator Resource CenterNASA Glenn Research CenterMail Stop 8-121000 Brookpark RoadCleveland, OH 44135Phone: (216) 433-2017http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/PAO/html/edteachr.htm

CT, DE, DC, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VTNASA EducatorResource LaboratoryNASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Mail Code 130.3Greenbelt, MD 20771-0001Phone: (301) 286-8570http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/vc/erc.htm

CO, KS, NE, NM, ND, OK, SD, TXSpace Center HoustonNASA Educator Resource Center for NASA Johnson Space Center1601 NASA Road OneHouston, TX 77058Phone: (281) 244-2129http://www.spacecenter.org/educator_resource.html

FL, GA, PR, VINASA Educator Resource CenterNASA Kennedy Space CenterMail Code ERCKennedy Space Center, FL 32899Phone: (321) 867-4090http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/educate/edu.htm

KY, NC, SC, VA, WVVirginia Air & Space CenterNASA Educator ResourceCenter for NASA LangleyResearch Center600 Settlers Landing RoadHampton, VA 23669-4033Phone: (757) 727-0900 x 757http://www.vasc.org/erc/

AL, AR, IA, LA, MO, TNU.S. Space and Rocket CenterNASA Educator ResourceCenter for NASA MarshallSpace Flight CenterOne Tranquility BaseHuntsville, AL 35807Phone: (256) 544-5812http://erc.msfc.nasa.gov

MSNASA Educator ResourceCenterNASA Stennis Space CenterMail Stop 1200Stennis Space Center, MS 39529-6000Phone: (228) 688-3338http://education.ssc.nasa.gov/erc/erc.htm

CANASA Educator ResourceCenter for NASA JetPropulsion LaboratoryVillage at Indian Hill1460 East Holt Avenue, Suite 20Pomona, CA 91767Phone: (909) 397-4420http://learn.jpl.nasa.gov/resources/resources_index.html

AZ and Southern CA NASA Educator ResourceCenter NASA Dryden FlightResearch CenterPO Box 273 M/S 4839Edwards, CA 93523-0273Phone: (661) 276-5009http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/trc/ERC/

VA’s and MD’s Eastern ShoresNASA Educator ResourceCenter for GSFC/WallopsFlight FacilityVisitor Center Building J-17Wallops Island, VA 23337Phone: (757) 824-2298http://www.wff.nasa.gov/~WVC/ERC.htm

EW-2002-08-133-HQPlease take a moment to evaluate this product at

http://ehb2.gsfc.nasa.gov/edcats/educational_wallsheet

Your evaluation and suggestions are vital to continually improving NASA educational materials. Thank you.

National Education Standards

National Science Education Standardshttp://books.nap.edu/books/0309053269/html/index.html

Principles and Standards for School Mathematicshttp://standards.nctm.org/

The National Geography Standardshttp://www.ncge.org/publications/tutorial/standards/

Standards for Technological Literacy from theInternational Technology Education Associationhttp://www.iteawww.org/TAA/TAA.html

The National Educational Technology Standardshttp://cnets.iste.org/index.html

Related Sites

U.S. Centennial of Flight Commissionhttp://www.centennialofflight.gov

NASA’s Celebrating Flight Web Site—Investigations celebrating 100 years of flight:past, present and future!http://spacelink.nasa.gov/celebratingflight

NASA Science Fileshttp://sciencefiles.larc.nasa.gov

NASA CONNECT Series http://connect.larc.nasa.gov/

NASA QUEST “WEBCASTS,” Interactive Events for Studentshttp://quest.arc.nasa.gov

NASA Educational Workshops for Teachers http://education.nasa.gov/new orhttp://www.nsta.org/new

Aerodynamics Problem Sets for High SchoolMathematics Courseshttp://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/BGA/BGAindex.html

Destination Tomorrow—A series of 30-minute programsthat focus on NASA research—past, present, and future.Intended audience is grades 9–16 and adult.http://destination.larc.nasa.gov/index_net.html

Re-Living the Wright Way—Information and links abouthow the Wright brothers used the process of inventionto pave the way for powered flight.http://wright.nasa.gov/

NASAexplores—An online resource with express lessons for grades K–12.http://www.nasaexplores.com/lessons/02-012/index.html

Links to many aerospace activities, resources, online opportunities and careers.http://www.aero-space.nasa.gov/edu

Educational Resource Sites

NASA Active Aeroelastic Wing

When Orville Wright first took to the air on December 17, 1903, he didn't have ailerons or flaps to control his airplane.Instead, the Wright brothers had chosen to twist or “warp” the wingtips of their craft in order to control its rolling or bankingmotion. They had devised a “saddle” in which the pilot lay. By moving his hips from side-to-side, the pilot warped either theleft or right wingtip, providing the necessary control for the Wright Flyer to make turns. To find out how NASA’s F-18 ActiveAeroelastic Wing is related to the Wright brothers’ first airplane, visit the following site:http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/PAO/PAIS/HTML/FS-061-DFRC.html.