7/7/2009
Workshops teach teachers how to incorporate aviation into classes
BOISE - The Idaho Transportation Department's Division of Aeronautics will sponsor several two-day Teacher Aviation Workshops this month to demonstrate how aviation subjects can be incorporated into regular classroom lessons.
Three workshops are planned: one in Idaho Falls, July16-17; one in Payette, July 20-21; and a third workshop in Sandpoint (Bird Aviation Museum), July 23-24. Although these workshops are intended primarily for grades 6-12, the lessons are appropriate for all grade levels.
"Teachers who are looking for unique ideas to teach mathematics and science, linking with reading, social studies and technology will find the workshops especially beneficial," said Frank Lester, safety/education coordinator for ITD's Division of Aeronautics. "These exciting, fun-filled, hands-on workshops will include ideas about incorporating aviation activities into the curriculum and will demonstrate the role aviation plays in everyday activities,"
Using official aeronautical charts, easy-to-make-plotters and other low cost items, participants will fly high with numerous classroom-ready lessons.
"All activities are aligned with current Idaho State Academic Standards and are very relevant to the ISAT," Lester said.
The workshops will explore:
- Flight planning with compass directions and latitude and longitude map operations;
- Practical applications of geometrical formulas used in search and rescue as well as runway construction projects;
- Negative and positive integers through the use of time zones;
- How paper airplanes can be used to teach scientific principles of flight as well as basic statistics such as the mean, median, and mode;
- Tracking down a UFO using a mathematical table;
- Discovering what secrets are contained within Area 51;
- Aviation literature combined with legends and myths;
- How motion pictures reinforce learning concepts;
- How the aviation Internet affects education.
College credit and continuing education hours will be offered following completion of the two-day workshop.
Registrations are limited to a maximum of 26 per workshop but plenty of room remains at each site. For more information about the workshops or the registration process, contact Frank Lester (frank.lester@itd.idaho.gov) or Tammy Schoen (tammy.schoen@itd.idaho.gov) by e-mail or telephone at (208) 334-8775.