FlyBy Math Introductory Video Script

[Air traffic controllers directing planes during takeoff, landing, and cruise flight]

Canadair seven-zero-six, runway one-seven-eight, cleared for takeoff.
American twenty twenty-three, cleared to six thousand.

[Animated host, Edgar, sitting on ATC console]
World twenty-three, reduce speed to three-five-zero knots.
Hi, my name is Edgar! Welcome to NASA’s FlyBy Math.

[Animation of traffic over the United States]
Each day, about twenty-five thousand planes operate in the skies over the United States.

[View from ATC tower panning towards an ATC display.]
To get these planes to their destination safely and on time, air traffic controllers use math and science.

[Air traffic controllers speaking into a microphone]
Sky one-two-five-zero-niner, runway two-eight right, cleared to land.

[Students working on problems in class]
Now NASA brings this math and science to students in grades five through nine with FlyBy Math.

[Animation of six distance-rate-time problems]
FlyBy Math guides students through six interactive distance-rate-time problems in air traffic control Here’s how it works…

[Students setting up and conducting an experiment]
To solve each problem, students first set up and conduct a hands-on experiment.

[One student stepping along the route as a pilot]
Each student takes on a role as a pilot, air traffic controller, or NASA scientist.

[Student reading a stopwatch]
Stop! Thirty-nine seconds.

[Students working on activity worksheets]
Then the students use guided paper and pencil activities with a variety of mathematics methods ranging from counting to graphing linear equations.

Standards-based and classroom-tested, FlyBy Math helps students to gain new understanding of mathematical methods, and to see how math can be applied through teamwork and communication.

[Teacher speaking]
The kids are very excited to do this. I mean, they know “Oh it’s a Smart Skies day” and they get really excited.

[One student speaking in a group]
We got to see everything happen. It was lot better than being in a classroom just listening to the teacher speak.

[Another teacher speaking]
I bring it right into my class. It goes with the standards already, actually because we do talk about force and mass and acceleration and velocity and speed. So it’s right in there.

[Another student speaking]
We’re learning what people do for their careers; what they do as jobs.

[Another teacher speaking]
We have come a long way as far as group protocol is concerned. They’ve really learned how to teach to each other and how to listen to one another.

[One student speaking]
I like being the pilot.

[Group of students speaking about FlyBy Math]
It was fun!
It was awesome!

[First teacher speaking again]
I would definitely recommend this to other teachers and it’s definitely something I’m going to use again.

[Animated character, Edgar, sitting on ATC console]
FlyBy Math from NASA… What’s on your radar screen?

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