Electric Planes are Already Here
Videos
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Earth and Space Sciences, Engineering
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Provided by The Kid Should See This
What it is
- This 10-minute video and associated article explore whether electric aircraft are possible and how advances in battery technology are making them increasingly viable as a way to reduce aviation's contribution to climate change.
- The video explains that electric planes allow us to reimagine air flight altogether through design ideas such as vertical takeoff and landing.
Teaching tips
Classroom Implementation:
- Prior to watching, discuss why electrifying certain things, such as planes, can pose significant challenges.
- After watching, have students list limiting factors for the spread of electric planes.
- Then, discuss why despite these limitations, the electric planes that already exist may still make a dent in fossil fuel emissions.
Extensions:
- Engage students in the engineering design process to electrify a typically fossil-fuel-powered technology.
- Explore the history of a variety of sustainable innovations (e.g., solar panels) to analyze the claim that most "new" technologies are actually decades in the making.
Related Resources:
- Use this 5-minute video to instead discuss the history of electric cars.
- Read this short news article about how Uber plans to launch fleets of electric helicopter taxis starting in 2026.
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