Flight School Imagineerz Learning

SEL Read Aloud: Flight School by Lita Judge

Summary

“Flight School” by Lita Judge is a heartwarming tale about a determined penguin who believes he has the soul of an eagle and dreams of flying. Despite the obvious challenge – penguins are not built to fly – the protagonist enrolls in flight school, holding onto his ambition with unwavering faith. The story unfolds with the penguin participating in flight classes alongside birds who are naturally equipped for flying. After several attempts and failures, the penguin’s teachers, a teacher bird and a flamingo, come up with a creative solution to help him achieve his dream. This uplifting story not only highlights the importance of perseverance and believing in oneself but also the value of support and innovation in helping others realize their dreams. It’s a delightful read for young students, encouraging them to dream big and never give up, despite the challenges they might face.

Comprehension Questions

Six questions aligned to Bloom’s taxonomy for teacher’s to evaluate students’ comprehension

Remembering: What kind of bird is the main character in “Flight School”?
Understanding: Can you explain why the penguin wanted to go to flight school?
Applying: Imagine you are a teacher at the flight school. What new activities would you plan for the penguin?
Analyzing: Compare and contrast the penguin’s abilities with those of his classmates at the flight school.
Evaluating: Assess the role of the penguin’s teachers. Were they effective in supporting him? How could they have improved?
Creating: Design a new invention to help the penguin fly better. Explain how it would work.

CASEL Discussion Questions

Five questions aligned to the CASEL competencies for teachers to foster an engaging discussion and foster social-emotional learning

Self-Awareness: What strengths does the penguin show in the story, aside from trying to fly?
Self-Management: What goal did the penguin set for himself? How did he work towards achieving it?
Social Awareness: The penguin is different from his classmates. How were his differences respected and celebrated in the story?
Relationship Skills: How did the penguin communicate his dream to his teachers? Was it effective?
Responsible Decision Making: Was it a good decision for the penguin to attend flight school? Why?

Design Thinking Challenge

Take students’ learning even further by incorporating the Imagineerz design thinking framework

Create a Flying Machine for Penguin

Understand

Begin by reading “Flight School” by Lita Judge.
Engage in a class discussion about the main character’s journey. How did the penguin feel about his inability to fly, and how did he handle these challenges? What features would a flying machine need to help someone like the penguin?

Ideate

Encourage students to brainstorm ideas for a flying machine that could help the penguin fly. Consider the limitations of a penguin’s body and how different designs could accommodate these. What materials would be practical and safe for such a device?

Prototype

In small groups or individually, students will create a model of their flying machine using classroom materials like cardboard, paper, tape, and string. They should think about how their design supports the penguin’s need to fly and stays attached to him.

Test

Students will present their flying machine models and explain how they work. They could demonstrate with a small toy penguin or a similar object. Ask for feedback from classmates: Does the design seem effective? Is it creative and practical? What improvements could be made?

Read Aloud

If you appreciated getting to read this book with your class, you might also want to share this book with them!

Additional Resources

- Flight School on Amazon