Orville Wright Lesson Plans
The Wright Brothers, a name synonymous with innovation, a pioneering spirit, American pride, and flight! Are you ready to learn more about the brothers who made aviation history a reality on a cold, blustery December day in 1903?
For our Heritage Letter we thought it best to "pick" a brother for the letter, so our letter is from Orville Wright, but there are references to Wilbur throughout the letter and even a couple of quotes from Wilbur intermingled with Orville's.
The quotes are the most enjoyable parts of our letters for me. I search through journals, letters, and any other writings I can get my hands on as I research. It's great to learn about the people we're writing from, but I want to learn from the people themselves and reading their own writings is the best way I know to do this.
It's how the stories behind our letters come to life, it's what lends each person's distinctive voice to their letter. It's what helps me get to know the person, not just know about them.
What homeschool history is complete without a study on the invention of flight? To help you learn more about Orville Wright, we’ve pulled together some excellent resources and developed a week of free Orville Wright Lesson Plans for your use alone or to accompany our Heritage Letter from Orville. You can view the lesson plans below and snatch up a copy of the free lesson plans along with our our activities about Orville n our free downloads here!
If you’d like a fun introduction to Orville Wright's life that will be engaging and authentic, you can grab our Heritage Letter from Orville NOW!
In addition to our lesson plans, here are our top recommended resources for learning about Orville Wright!
Visit
Wright Brothers National Museum in Dayton, Ohio
Amongst other Wright Brothers artifacts, you'll find the 1905 Wright Flyer III and a replica of one of the Wright Brothers Cycle Shop buildings.
Wright Brothers National Memorial in the Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
See the WRIGHT FLYER I, the world's first successful airplane at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Trust me, I've seen it in person twice and you NEED to see it. So when, if, you're ever in D.C. make seeing the Wright Flyer I a priority on your bucket list!
If you're interested in learn more about the preservation history of the airplane, check out The Real Wright Flyer blog post from Peter Jakab, the curator of the airplane.
Posters, Puzzles, & Models
If your kids are like mine, they will LOVE this Paper Airplane Kit!
Vintage Wright Brothers Flying Machine Patent Poster Prints, Set of 4
For the aviation buff or wonderful homeschool wall decorations, display this lovely set of 4 vintage patent poster prints of the Wright Flyers.
Guillow's 1903 Wright Brother Flyer Laser Cut Model Kit
You'll have your model building child (or husband) flying high with this model kit!
For a simpler model for younger kids, check out the Rolife Build Your Own 3D Wooden Assembly Puzzle Wood Craft Kit Bi-Plane Model
LANG - 1000 Piece Puzzle -"Planes", Artwork by Artly--this puzzle does not feature the Wright Flyer, but it is GORGEOUS!
Airplanes 100 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle
EuroGraphics History of Aviation Puzzle (1000-Piece)
Books
One Week with Orville Wright
You'll find all of the ideas below, plus a pamphlet for your student(s) to fill out about Orville Wright and printable quotes from Orville and Wilbur for you to enjoy inside our Orville Wright free downloads.
Day 1: Hello Orville!
Read the Heritage Letter from Orville Wright
Watch FreeSchool’s Biography of the Wright Brothers
*As you go through the week, add in reading any books you have about Orville Wright.
Day 2: Orville's Childhood
Take a peak inside Orville’s childhood home with the Henry Ford Innovation Nation
Day 3: Orville and Wilbur
Watch Simple History’s The Wright Brothers
Day 4: Orville the Aviator
Watch The Brilliant Engineering of First Flight from Lesics
Day 5: Field Trip Day
Watch CBS Sunday Morning’s Interview with historian David McCullough
Put a fun ending to your week studying about Orville Wright with a fun field trip!
- Visit an aviation museum.
- Visit a local airport to watch planes take off and land.
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