Aviation High School Facilitator Guide

This Aviation High School Facilitator Guide and corresponding interactive Student Notebook address a growing need for solid instruction, inquiry, and development of future-ready competencies and interest in aviation at the high school level. This guide delivers the resources for high school teachers to utilize science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) instruction to provide an excellent introduction to aviation. The content promotes aviation as an innovative field and includes exploration of aviation as an industry, the study of the fundamentals of flight, and an introduction to the diverse career opportunities available within the industry.

The Facilitator Guide and accompanying online Instructor Resources include plans for research-based teaching of technical information, standards-based activities, assessments, and resources all designed to engage students’ different learning styles. Lessons are designed to be taught independently within any subject (science, technology, engineering, math, history, language arts) or used as a comprehensive aviation-themed curriculum for grades 9–12. The lesson plans incorporate engaging and interactive activities, including recommendations for using small unmanned aircraft systems (drones) and flight simulators to demonstrate and reinforce aeronautical knowledge and key flight concepts.

This guide covers 14 essential topics divided into chapters to engage the next generation of the aviation workforce: 

Aviation Training 
Aircraft Basics 
Airport Operations 
Aircraft Weight & Balance and Performance 
Aviation Communications 
People, Events, and Trends in Aviation 
Careers in Aviation 
Aerodynamics of Flight 
Aircraft Systems 
Flight Maneuvers 
Airspace 
Weather 
Aeromedical Factors 
Navigation and Flight Planning 



Aligned to Next Generation Science Standards, Common Core State Standards for Math and Language Arts, and North Dakota Aviation Content Standards.