What is the 2003 Flight Forecast Program?
The 2003 Flight Forecast program is an educational initiative developed by The Franklin Institute and the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission. The online program challenges students in grades K-12 to predict the weather conditions at Wright Brothers National Memorial on December 17, 2003, where a re-enactment of the Wright brothers' first powered flight will take place 100 years to the minute later.
Who is eligible to participate?
Students in grades K-12 in the United States are eligible to participate. Forecasts will be collected in three grade groupings: K-4, 5-8 and 9-12. The complexity of the forecast increases at each higher grade grouping. Read the
Program Rules and Regulations for complete details.
How can I register?
Advanced teacher registration is required. To register, the participant must be a teacher in a K-12 classroom in the United States. Teachers must register online before November 2, 2003.
Does it cost anything to participate?
No. All of the educational materials are available free of charge on the Centennial of Flight Commission website, and there is no cost for teachers to register their classes. In fact, teachers will also find educational materials related to the history of flight available on the site free of charge.
When does the program take place?
Teachers need to register between September 25, 2003 and November 2, 2003. Forecasts must be submitted online between November 3, 2003 and November 17, 2003.
How will the most accurate forecast be selected?
On December 18, the actual recorded weather data for Kitty Hawk will be used to determine the most accurate forecasts in each grade grouping. If two or more single forecasts have every field correct, then the tie will be broken based upon which forecast was submitted with the earliest timestamp. If no single forecast has every field correct, then the most accurate will be determined based upon an algorithm that weights the fields according to difficulty. (Note that December 17 must end in order to determine several of the forecast conditions, so the determination of accuracy will not begin until the next day.)
Why participate?
The 2003 Flight Forecast program is an opportunity to tie science, math, history and current events together in the classroom in a fun, interactive way. The program celebrates the 100th anniversary of flight, as well as the people, events, and technology that made flight possible.
Can homeschool students participate?
While the program was designed for traditional classroom use, homeschool families are
certainly welcome to participate. When registering, use "Homeschool" for the school name
field and select "other" from the dropdown list for kind of school.
Will prizes be awarded?
Yes, the students who submit the most accurate forecast within each grade grouping will
receive prizes that are related to the Centennial of Flight and/or meteorology. The final
prize list is still being assembled and will be published here as soon as possible.
What should I do first?
Read the Program Rules and Regulations. If you've decided that you want to participate in the competitive forecasting phase of the program, you need to register. After you've registered, take a look at the classroom activities that are intended to help you prepare your students to make their forecasts. Then, take a look at the forecast format for your grade level so you'll know what the students are expected to do. Finally, take a look at the Daily Details which are available on every school day during the program. These daily doses of information about meteorology, aviation, and/or the Wright Brothers will help you sustain student interest in the 2003 Flight Forecast program.
Still looking for answers? Send your questions to: forecast@www.fi.edu
