"Man must rise above the Earth - to the top of the
atmosphere and beyond - for only thus will he fully understand the world in which he lives. "
~ Socrates, 500 BC
primary source set
This Primary Source Set includes images, diary entries, personal letters and analysis tools to help teach about the Wright brothers' lives and experiments.
American Treasures: Lindbergh on the Future of Airliners - (Exhibition) Charles Lindbergh correctly predicted that trans-oceanic aircraft of the future will not only be very large but will be land-based rather than water-based.
American Treasures: Igor Sikorsky's Helicopters - (Exhibition) One of aviation's greatest designers, Russian-born Igor Sikorsky, began work on helicopters as early as 1910. In this journal, he records his technical progress as of 1930.
With Wings As Eagles: From Fantasy to Flight - (Learning Page Activity) View a powerpoint presentation highlighting resources from the Library of Congress that document the history of flight.
Especially for your Students...
Amelia Earhart - (America's Library) Earhart was the first woman to make a solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic.
December 17, 1903 - Wilbur and Orville Wright - (America’s Library) On December 17, 1903, they became the first people to demonstrate sustained flight of a heavier-than-air machine under the complete control of the pilot.
Today in History (December 17, 1903) First Flight - (Today in History) On this day in 1903, the Wright brothers became the first people to demonstrate sustained flight of a heavier-than-air machine under the complete control of the pilot.
Is there
a title (or two) that you always read to (or with) your students
when teaching about this theme? Are there
invaluable reference books that you use?
Staff from The Library of Congress have begun a collection of
titles for the "From
Fantasy to Flight" theme. We hope you will contribute
your favorites to our growing bibliography!
Photographs Taken by the Wright Brothers of Aviation Experiments, Home, and Family - (Summary and Teaching Resources) View Library of Congress digital images of 303 glass plate negatives, most taken by the Wright brothers themselves between 1896 and 1911, that document their successes and failures with their new flying machines.
Photographs From the Chicago Daily News, 1902-1933 - (Summary and Teaching Resources) Subject headings flight, air pilots, airplanes, air pilots, air shows, airplane hangers, airships, balloonists will yield numerous flight related photographs.
