Adventures in the Sea and Sky Archives

Every time I peek into Winter Promise’s Adventures in the Sea and Sky, I find more lessons and materials that excite me. Currently, I’m captivated by the lessons on the Wright Brothers and flight.

Today, we take flight for granted. With enough money, we could readily fly virtually anywhere in the world in less than 24 hours. This was unfathomable until only about 100 years ago and the work of the Wright Brothers. We don’t see very many “firsts” these days, and I can’t help but imagine the thrill when the first flight was achieved. What an amazing moment that must have been!

Winter Promise’s Adventures in the Sea and Sky does a masterful job of taking your learner though all aspects of flight from Leonardo da Vinci’s flying machines to modern aircraft, with a good bit of Wright Brothers in between.

For this post, I want to share a few sightseeing options related to flight. Obviously, if you happen to be in the vicinity of any of these locations while studying the flight section of Adventures in the Sea and Sky, I highly recommend doing a field trip. However, any of these locations would be excellent for families to visit any time!

1. Wright Brothers National Memorial, Kitty Hawk, NC

At the memorial, you can see exactly where the first flight took place, tour a small museum, and view a replica of the Wright Brothers’ Kitty Hawk workshop. My family and I visited the Wright Brothers National Memorial this summer, and my favorite part, by far, was seeing the locations where the Wright Brothers’ airplane took off and landed. It was easy to imagine being there when it actually happened.

Wright Brothers National Memorial National Park Service Website

2. Wright Brothers’ Home and Cycle Shop, Greenfield Village, Dearborn, MI

I cannot exaggerate how much I love Greenfield Village. I could go on and on and on about all the great things to see and do there, but if you’re interested in flight, be sure to visit the actual Wright Brothers’ home and bicycle shop that were relocated to Greenfield Village. In the summer, actors portraying Wilbur and Orville Wright perform a short play on the porch of the house reflecting on the first flight.

Greenfield Village Website

3. Heroes of the Sky Aviation Exhibit, Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn, MI

Right beside Greenfield Village is the Henry Ford Museum. Greenfield Village isn’t open year-round, so if you happen to be in Dearborn in the winter, you’ll have to skip the village and just visit the Henry Ford Museum. Luckily, the museum has a tremendous aviation exhibit called Heroes of the Sky, featuring actual historic planes and a replica of the Wright flyer.

Henry Ford Museum Heroes of the Sky Website

4. National Museum of the United States Air Force (USAF), Dayton, OH

Located next to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the National Museum of the USAF is one of the largest collections of aircraft. It features over 360 historical aircraft and missiles. I had the great privilege of getting a tour of the museum from my late grandfather, who served in the USAF. This is a must see for anyone fascinated by flight, particularly as it relates to wartime aviation.

National Museum of the USAF Website

5. Air Zoo, Portage, MI

Of all the places on this list, this is the one I have not personally visited. Not yet. The Air Zoo is an aviation museum and amusement park all-in-one. Once my son gets a little older, we will be sure to visit. Like I said, I haven’t been there, so be sure to check out their website to learn more.

Air Zoo Website

Thanks for stopping by the blog, and be sure to let us know if you’ve visited any of these locations or plan to visit. We’d love to hear about your adventures!

Also, check out all the Adventures in the Sea and Sky themed curriculum here.

I’ve sailed on the great waters of Lake Erie and Lake Michigan since I was a toddler. I competed in (and won) a 24-hour long sailboat race through thunderstorms and dead calms. I grew up hearing my grandpa’s stories about serving in the US Air Force; he told about war times, hunting hurricanes, and earning a purple heart. But today, I cannot be more excited to tell you about the adventures that await you and your family in Winter Promise’s Adventures in the Sea and Sky.

As I dipped my toes into the gorgeously illustrated and masterfully written curriculum, my first stop was the activity book Sailors, Whalers, and Astronauts: Life on Ships that Sail and Soar. For someone who’s dreamt about sailing around the world, activities regarding “life on ships that sail” seemed like the perfect maiden voyage for me.

Alright, let’s set sail! (Don’t worry. I’ll try not to overwhelm you with sailing puns!)

Adventures in the Sea and Sky is a one year history and science program for 3^rd through 9^th graders. One of the resources included in this themed curriculum is the 90-page activity book called Sailors, Whalers, and Astronauts: Life on Ships that Sail and Soar. If it sounds like 30-year-old me is geeking-out over this curriculum, you better believe that 3^rd grade me would be even more thrilled to learn history and science through the eyes of sailors, whalers, and astronauts.

The first activity that caught my eye in Sailors, Whalers, and Astronauts was “Knots Used by Sailors” (pages 32 and 33). Why did it catch my eye? Because I already consider myself somewhat of a knot nerd, and I knew I wouldn’t let you down with my knot-tying skills!

The two page activity has diagrams of a few knots as well as an explanation of why knots are important to sailors. The Adventures in the Sea and Sky guide has recommended websites for more knot exploration including steps to tie a nautical rug and more nautical knots (page 127). I also highly recommend searching for videos online as they’re extremely helpful to watch while learning to tie knots.

When knot tying made me a little hungry, I decided to whip up a snack from the “Food and Drink” activity on pages 34 through 37 of Sailors, Whalers, and Astronauts.

After a couple pages explaining the food and drink of sailors, your learner can try his or her hand at making dandyfunk or lobscouse. These dishes were completely foreign to me, but I knew they couldn’t be too hard to make, especially considering I’d be cooking in my kitchen, as opposed to a cramped, constantly swaying galley on a ship.

So, I chose to make some dandyfunk. Yes, dandyfunk is what it’s called! I already had most of the ingredients, so it really was quite simple to make. I’d describe dandyfunk as more funky, than dandy, however I’m positive you’ll have fun making it.