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Birds and flight
Only birds have feathers. Find out what makes a bird a bird, how feathers are built, how a wing makes lift, why some birds cannot fly, and how a bird's whole body is adapted for flight. Three ages, each with a text, an experiment, a game, a quiz, a printable worksheet and a teacher sheet.
Ages 6–7Feathers, beaks and wingsWhat makes a bird a bird? Look closely at a feather, find out why birds have different beaks, and meet birds that cannot fly.Ages 10–11How birds flyHow a feather is built, what the different flight feathers do, how a wing makes lift, and how a bird's body is kept light. Then test lift with a strip of paper and a fair test with paper gliders.Ages 15–16Flight: adaptations and the lift equationBirds as living dinosaurs, the anatomical adaptations for powered flight, why the 'equal transit' explanation of lift is wrong, and calculations with the lift equation L = ½ρv²ACL.