Takeoff!

Takeoff! delves into the remarkable history of flight and humankind's age-old fascination with soaring through the skies. This engaging non-fiction book explores the early, often comical, attempts at flight, through to the groundbreaking innovations that eventually led to powered aircraft. With historical context, scientific explanations, and detailed diagrams, the text guides readers through a timeline of aviation development, highlighting key events, people, and breakthroughs. Students are encouraged to categorise information, identify sequences, summarise, and reflect on how persistence and curiosity drove technological advancements. By tracing the journey from failure to success, the book fosters a deep understanding of innovation and the scientific process.

Educational Benefits:

• Reinforces understanding of scientific advancement through historical context
• Supports development of summarising and sequencing skills
• Introduces cause-and-effect reasoning within a real-world topic
• Builds vocabulary through technical language and diagram interpretation

Classroom Ideas:

• Create a timeline of major flight milestones
• Compare early flying machines and modern aircraft using labelled diagrams
• Host a classroom discussion: œWhy do humans want to fly?
• Design an invention inspired by early aviation attempts

Safety & Information:

• Suitable for ages 10+
• Measures: 150 x 200 mm
• Reading Level: Black 31+
• No safety concerns; text-based content only