Lesson Plan

Celebrating 100 years of the RAF

100_RAF

Learning Outcomes

To know what the RAF is and what it does.

Higher: I can explore the range of careers available within the RAF
Middle: I can explain why the RAF is important
Lower: I can identify facts about the RAF

To explore the various aircraft and engineering feats of the RAF

Higher: I can create my own rubber-band aeroplane using design and light engineering skills.
Middle: I can explain how innovative engineering has helped the RAF
Lower: I know the names of various aircraft

Activities

Mission Starter - Engage

Method:

Think, Pair, Share.  
What does the RAF stand for?  Children to look at the image on the slide and discuss why the RAF is important.
Children could feedback through discussion or use of mini-whiteboards or sticky notes.

Resources:

Slide show image
Sticky Notes
Mini whiteboards

The Story - Explore and Explain

Method:

Children to learn about the RAF during the presentation, including its history, engineering feats and importance.  Stop during presentation to undertake AfL activities:

Clued Up
  Children to be given Clued Up Handout at the start of the presentation and they should use information during presentation to complete answers and help crack the code.

Rank Order
  Children to use the Officer Ranking Handout to match the ranks with the military badges and then put them in order.  Best done in small groups or pairs.
Stretch Yourself - Conduct some research on one of the officer ranks and create 5 questions you would like to ask that officer about their job/career in the RAF.  

Talk Partners
  Children to discuss and review the different aircraft and explain to one another their importance.

Resources:

Presentation
Clued Up Handout
Officer Ranking Handout

Mission Expert - Explain

Method:

Expert Film
Watch today's expert film with Mike Linley at the Aviation Museum in Norwich.

21st Century Skills
Watch today's 21st Century Skills film with Paul Usher and Jon Badgery, who discuss the types of careers and skills which can be learnt in the Royal Air Force and how innovation and problem solving are important skills for such careers.

Resources:

Mission Assignment - Elaborate

Method:

Rubber Band Aeroplane
Watch today's Mission Assignment film to help with the design and build of your own rubber band aeroplane.

Collect your resources together to build your own prototype aeroplane.  The key to this task is evaluation and improvement - can you engineer the best possible model by changing materials, measurements, shapes and overall design?  Try and make at least two models with the same objective and review in groups the best features of everyone's model before improving it.

Resources:

Rubber Bands
Cardboard
Plastic Straws
Scissors
Fabric Tape
Masking Tape
Paper Clips
Plastic Beads

Mission Log - Evaluate

Method:

Quiz
With their talk partners, the students are to go through the quiz at the end of the presentation and answer the questions.    

Formative Assessment
Students to complete these forms.    

Assessment Trays
Ask the children to place their Handouts, notebooks, Formative Assessment Forms, Investigation Sheets, into either the Discovery tray (green) or Explorer tray (red)*. Explain that the green tray means that the learner has understood the lesson well, and that the red tray means that the learner needs more time to practice.    

* use whichever colours of tray you have in stock or prefer to use for your class.

Resources:

Quiz in Presentation Formative Assessment Forms Assessment Trays

Assessment

Questions to Ask During the Lesson

What does the RAF stand for?
Does anyone have a family member who works in the RAF?
Why is the RAF important?
What can the RAF do that other forces can't?
What engineering feats has the RAF achieved?
What different careers can you get from the RAF?

Mark Allocation

  • One mark given for each correct answer in Clued Up, with a further two marks given for cracking the code.
  • One mark given for each rank matched correctly with the military bagde.  A further five marks given for the correct order of ranks.
  • Up to ten marks given for the quality of the mission assignment.

Teacher Mastery

Engineering in the RAF

There are two main roles for engineering in the RAF - as an engineering technician and also an engineering officer, someone who is in charge of a team of engineers.   Engineers are needed for many different types of engineering, such as mechanical engineering, avionics, weapons and communication.

Engineering takes up around 40% of the careers available within the RAF, which shows the scope and magnitude of the jobs available.  Ask the children if they know what different things might be 'engineered.'

Over the last 100 years, RAF engineers and aerospace engineers have been responsible for huge advances in the technology of aircraft.  Since the first aeroplane was built and tested by the Wright brothers in the early 20th century, air travel and the use of aircraft has developed beyond recognition.  The RAF was the first independent, separated air force in the world, and is at the forefront of engineering, including:

  • The turbo-jet engine:  Sir Frank Whittle, an RAF officer, is credited with inventing the first turbo-jet engine, without which we wouldn't have the powerful, high-speed jets that exist today.
  • Radars: First heavily and extensively used by the RAF in the second world war, during the Battle of Britain.
  • Spitfire: one of the most successful and famous fighter planes ever made, it was used against the German Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain.
     For your mission assignment, you will need to act as engineers to build a successful helicopter from the materials you are given.  You need to use maths skills to measure, working scientifically skills to consider the best materials and engineering to ensure your helicopter flies!

Curriculum Fields

Century Skills For Life

Careers Innovation Problem Solving

CrossCurriculum Opportunities

Engineering History