In this chapter, students work to answer the question, How does the shape of a bird’s wing affect its flight? Students first investigate how factors such as wing length and shape affect the takeoff and flight of a paper airplane. They use this information to make predictions about birds’ flight and then confirm or revise predictions by watching video clips. Finally, students apply these principles to flying machines such as gliders, helicopters, and airplanes.

A unique feature of this inquiry is the use of a directed viewing-thinking activity, or DVTA. This is a modification of a directed listening-thinking activity (DLTA), a research-based strategy for promoting comprehension of a text (Stauffer 1975). The DLTA strategy prompts students to make predictions about a text and then confirm or refute those predictions by listening to a read-aloud. We’ve created the DVTA to promote the development of science content knowledge by making predictions about an image, then using video clips to revise those predictions. In this way, the DVTA develops an underutilized literacy skill: the ability to critically view a diagram or video clip and obtain evidence from it. More information about the DVTA can be found in Appendix 1. Students also practice drawing diagrams, or infographics, and practice using the text features (captions, headings, labels) associated with them.