Article
Sueddeutsche Zeitung Photo/Alamy Stock Photo (Glider); Kevin Archive/Alamy Stock Photo (Orville & Wilbur Wright); Lebrecht Music & Arts/Alamy Stock Photo (Wright Flyer); Agence Roger Viollet/The GRANGER Collection (Air Show); Bridgeman Images (Tennis); IanDagnall Computing/Alamy Stock Photo (Bessie Coleman); Shutterstock.com (Pilot Cap, Background, Plane)
Background Builder,

The History of Flying

You are going to read about an amazing pilot from long ago. Here is what you should know first.

From the February 2023 Issue
Lexiles: 370L
Guided Reading Level: I
Featured Skill: Vocabulary, Main Idea,
Vocabulary: gliders, pilots, stunts, wings
Topic: Social Studies,
Common Core Standards
  • RF.1.1 Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print RI.1.5 Know and use various text features to locate information RI.1.7 Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key ideas RI.1.10 Read informational texts appropriately complex for grade 1 L.1.4.A Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase
TEKS Standards
  • Social Studies
    (15) Science, technology, and society. The student identifies individuals who created or invented new technology and understands how technology affects daily life, past and present. The student is expected to: (B) describe how technology has affected communication, transportation, and recreation; and (C) identify the contributions of scientists and inventors such as Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, and Garrett Morgan.

Magazine View
See Student View

1. People dreamed of flying.

This glider had wings.

Before airplanes, people made kites. They made gliders. Then two brothers made something new. 

2. The Wright brothers flew.

The Wright Flyer first flew in 1903.

They made an airplane that worked. The first time, it flew for only 12 seconds. But they did it! 

3. Air shows were a hit.

Soon airplanes worked much better. Pilots put on air shows. People went to watch the planes.

4. The pilots did tricks.

They flew in circles. They stood on the wings. Some pilots became stars. 

Bessie Coleman was a star pilot. What stunts did she do? Were they dangerous? Go to this page for her story.

Slideshows (1)
Activities (2)
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
Slideshows (1)
Activities (2) Download All Skill Activities
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)

More About the Article

Social Studies Focus 

History

Vocabulary: 

gliders, pilots, stunts, wings

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

IMPLEMENTATION SUGGESTIONS

Small Group/Partner Read

  • This article gives children background knowledge to help them better understand the Big Read-Aloud. Read it in small groups or as a whole class. You can call on volunteers to read the sections.

Word Work

  • “The History of Flying” features rich content vocabulary words: gliders, pilots, wings, and stunts. Preview these bolded vocabulary words with our slideshow.

1. BEFORE READING

Preview the Article and Set a Purpose for Reading (3-5 minutes)

  • Help children see the main idea of the article using the headline and opening text.
  • Tell students that you will read to learn about the history of airplanes and flying. In history, we learn about what happened in the past. How can students tell that the images in the article are from long ago?

2. READ THE ARTICLE (15-30 minutes)

  •  The numbers and colored text will help guide students through the pages. After reading the headline and opening text, start at number 1.
  • Have children discuss each section of text. What is something new or surprising they learned in each section? They can turn and talk to a partner.
  • To deepen students’ understanding of the vocabulary, review the bolded words. Write each word on the board. What other words describe it? Help the class brainstorm a list. (e.g., Pilot: airplane, fly, person, sky, steer.)

3. AFTER READING: Focus on Skills

ELA Focus: Vocabulary (10 minutes)

  • The skills page Nosey’s Fact File encourages children to recall key details and themes of the text.

ELA Focus: Key Details (15 minutes)

  • This version of the skills page Nosey’s Fact File allows children to practice the same skills at a lower level.

Text-to-Speech