Take Flight in school with SF and YWA

Take Flight Outreach Program

 Take Flight is an in-school program from the Science Factory and Young Writers Association. In this three hour program, teachers from the Science Factory and Young Writers Association (YWA) visit your school to present a day of creative exploration in science, creative writing and visual arts.

The day begins with a 3o-minute introduction to the theme of the program: flying machines, both real and imaginary, as told through stories and demonstrations.

Afterwards, students will participate in a series of activities around the theme:

● Words Aloft: Students mess with words to build vivid poems or stories inspired by the art of writing and the science of flight. They will notice how the forces of flight can match elements of strong writing for inventive and imaginative possibilities.

● From the Drawing Board: Using observation, imagination, and scientific information, young artists and scientists will create wondrous drawings of flying contraptions. Looking at images from the natural world, including flying and gliding animals and seeds, students will choose characteristics to use in the design of new and extraordinary airborne inventions.

● Wind Tunnel Testing: Students will build their own prototype lightweight flying machines out of household materials, then test them in a vertical wind tunnel. They will observe the extent to which they balance the forces of gravity, lift, thrust, and drag, as well as the degree of stability their aircraft achieves. They will then have the chance to revise and re-test their craft, just as good engineering practice requires in the real world.

Who is eligible?

The program is designed for students in grades 1 to 6. Up to three full classes (or 120 students) within the same school may sign up jointly for a day. The school must be located within a 40-mile radius of Eugene.

» Take Flight Teacher Information Sheet [pdf]

» Take Flight Outreach Registration Form [pdf]

Teachers or principals may contact the Science Factory in order to reserve an available date, then complete registration form for submission.

Read about some of the  Young Writers Association artists and writers.

Take Flight, a multidisciplinary project of the Science Factory and Young Writers Association, is made possible by grants from the Jane and Howard Glazer Fund, Koons Family Fund, and Fred W. Fields Fund, each of the Oregon Community Foundation, and from the US Bancorp Foundation.