Resources

Students prepare to fly bird kits.

I started BirdKit.com to help students excel in science. When I first began to sell flapping-wing model kits back in 2003, I thought mainly adult hobbyists would build them. My efforts to simplify the construction made it possible for school students to build these models as well. Students get really excited about the bird model kits. As they rise to meet the challenge of flapping-wing flight, they want to keep learning more about the related science concepts!

• Teachers Guide
  Includes sample contest rules, lesson ideas, and more!
• The Ornithopter Zone
  A web site with extensive information on flapping-wing aircraft.

Here is what happened when Tom Cole, a high school teacher in Idaho, started to use the bird model kits in his classroom:

"Great things happening with flapping wings... I have students that are high on flight and not on drugs. This is a great project for parent and child. Many of your problem kids have parents that don't work with their kids on anything. This has made a difference in three of my students' families. Something about flapping wings that infects everyone!"   — Tom Cole

Science Olympiad

Any of the model kits on this site can be used in the Science Olympiad "Flying Bird" competition. I suggest using the kits only as a starting point. As your skills progress, you will be able to construct an even lighter model for the actual Science Olympiad competition.

• Flying Bird Rules
  Rules for the Science Olympiad trial event.
• Contest Flying Tips
  How to make your bird models fly the longest.

Learning Standards

Natural flight investigations support state and national learning standards. Building a model from a kit's written instructions is a real-world language lesson that teaches students to read for information and understanding. They will also learn math, science, and technology skills through hands-on experience. Students will want to carry out their own inquiry-based experiments to learn more about flapping-wing flight!

Language Arts

Rodman Philbrick's book, Freak the Mighty, has tempted thousands of young people with the idea of building a mechanical bird. Many teachers offer a list of projects related to the book. Bird models should be on the list, as they provides something for your visual-spatial learners. Students will have to use a kit to complete the project successfully.