Hot Air Homeschool
A fun way to decide on a unit study topic is to look for anniversaries of interesting events in history and build a unit study around that event or concept. The first aerostatic flight recorded in history was an experiment conducted in Versailles in September of 1783, which makes September the perfect time to check out the history of hot air balloons, experiment with the aerostatic force the balloons utilize, and create some colorful, hot-air-balloon-inspired artwork!
Hot Air Balloon Science
Sometimes the best way to learn how something works is to try your hand at making it yourself. This hot air balloon science experiment walks students through the process of constructing and propelling their own mini hot air balloon. While it might take some trial and error to get the configuration right and to figure out the most effective materials, the materials themselves are all simple household supplies. Note that some of this experiment will require the use of candles and flame, and students should always be supervised during the use of any potentially dangerous elements.
Even if you’d prefer your students not to conduct an experiment that requires so much supervision, you can still demonstrate the power of hot air with this air expansion science experiment. This experiment does use hot water in a mug or glass, so young children would still need assistance, but many students would be able to conduct this experiment on their own or with siblings.
Explore the history of the hot air balloon and learn how their design and use has changed over time. Students may also enjoy researching historical uses for hot air balloons, like reconnaissance during the Civil War.
These 15 hot air balloon crafts are great to keep little hands busy and to let students’ creative juices flow.
Hot Air Balloon Books
Incorporate some language arts into your hot air balloon unit study with a few of these children’s books featuring hot air balloons. Whether you choose books for students to read alone on their own level or bring the family together for some read-aloud time, there are a variety of options in a range of reading levels, writing styles, and genres.
