Hot Air Balloons Lesson

Standards:

TEKS Science: 6.2E, 6.3A-C, 6.9A-B CCRS Science Standards: VII-I1, VIII-A2, VIII-A4, VIII-F1, VIII-F3

 

Lesson Overview

In this lesson, the students build and launch hot air balloons. They also use an online computer simulation to replicate the launch conditions their hot air balloon will experience. Through use of the computer simulation, students explore how temperature, volume and pressure can influence the flight of their hot air balloon. Students are introduced to the concept of buoyancy as it relates to the flight of their hot air balloon both in the computer simulation and outside when they launch their balloons.

Lesson Objectives

Hot Air Balloons Lesson Plans

  1. Students will be able to describe how hot air balloons rise and determine the conditions necessary to keep a balloon afloat by using a computer simulation. 
  2. Students will be able to explain the principle that warm air expands when heated and how heat is transferred through convection.
  3. Students will be able to construct and launch a hot air balloon.
  4. Students will be able to generalize the relationship between temperature, volume and pressure.