For Black History Month, we would like to once again feature an African-American who was at the forefront of science and technology.

Bessie Coleman.

Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman, born in Texas, was the first person of African-American descent to become a licensed pilot in 1921.  She was also the first American to hold an international pilot license.  She is now part of the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

Bessie Coleman is admired by many, including the first African-American woman in space, Mae Jemison.  In the book Queen Bess: Daredevil Aviator, Mae Jemison said that Bessie Coleman “serves as a model to all humanity: the very definition of strength, dignity, courage, integrity, and beauty.”

To commemorate Bessie Coleman, you can make your own flying mechanism that shows how a helicopter works.

Spinners

Supplies:

Strips of paper 6-8 inches long and 1/2-1 inch wide
Scissors

Instructions:

1. Cut notches in the paper, one on each end, on opposite sides.

2. Assemble by inserting the notches into each other.

3. Hold the spinner high in the air and drop it. See what it does as it’s going down towards the ground.

4. Keep trying with different lengths and widths of the strips of paper. Note what happens with different sizes.

Spinners work when air is pushing on the flat sides of the strips of paper. When the flat side of the paper strip is parallel to the ground, the spinner drifts down like a flat piece of paper.  If the Spinner tilts so that the flat side of the strip is at an angle to the ground, the paper strip gets a sideways push, just like the blade of a helicopter, sending the Spinner spinning. Each time the flat strip comes around, it gets another push and goes for another spin.

For more information and activites with air, click here.