Social Studies Time - The Tuskegee Airmen

  

We are switching it up a bit.  Today, we are going to talk about the Tuskegee Airmen. I know this is a Science blog, but in honor of Black History Month we are going to have some SOCIAL STUDES TIME. 


The question of the day is:Who are the Tuskegee Airmen?
Well, the Tuskegee Airman were the first group of elite African-American pilots to serve as military aviators in the U.S armed forces. They were pioneers for the equality and the integration of the Armed Forces. The Tuskegee Airmen included 996 pilots and more than 15,000 ground personnel of navigators, bombardiers, maintenance and support staff and instructors.

Tuskegee Airmen pose in front of a P-40 fighter in 1942 or 1943

The main flight training for for the Tuskegee Airmen took place at the Division of Aeronautics at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. The U.S Air Corps built a separate facility at the Tuskegee Army Air Field to train the pilots. Eleanor Roosevelt played a major role in establishing the training facility. The First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt was very interested in the work at the Tuskegee Institute, especially at the aeronautical school. In 1941 she visited Tuskegee. When she was there, she got in the back seat of a plane which was flown by a black pilot called Charles Alfred. Against the wishes of the Secret Service agents and President Roosevelt, she flew about half an hour over Tuskegee , Alabama. When she landed, Mrs. Roosevelt was convinced that black pilots could fly. When Mrs. Roosevelt returned to Washington, she convinced her husband to allow the first Negro Air Corps pilots to be trained at Tuskegee Institute.

This is the field in Tuskegee Alabama where the airmen trained.

A trip that would help change history. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and “Chief” Charles Alfred Anderson in 1941.

Although the Tuskegee Airmen proved to be dedicated, determined and superior military pilots they were still in segregated units and could not fight alongside their white countrymen. They did not only have to battle enemies during the war, but they also had to fight against racism and segregation. Many people and military officials did not want blacks to become pilots. They had to train in overcrowded classrooms and airstrips, and suffered from the racist attitudes. Although the Tuskegee Airman suffered many hardships, they proved themselves to be world class pilots.

  

During the time of the Tuskegee Airmen places like this were very popular through out the United States.

The Tuskegee Airmen was nicknamed "Red Tail Angels" because they had red paint on the propeller and tail of their planes and the bombers they escorted thought that they were like angels.

The Tuskegee Airmen escorting a bomber Plane.

When the war ended, 992 men had graduated from Negro Air Corps pilot training at Tuskegee and 450 of these men were sent overseas for combat assignment. There were also 150 Tuskegee Airmen who lost their lives while in training or on combat flights.

The Tuskegee Air men destroyed or damage over 409 German airplanes, 950 ground units, and sank a battleship destroyer. They also had over 200 bomber escort missions during World War II.


Please enjoy watch the clips on the Tuskegee Airmen.
 
 

The is a clip from the US Air Force

Currenty there is a movie at the theaters about the Tuskegee Airmen. This is the trailer.

This is a clip in the words of some of the original Tuskegee Airmen.

On Monday, February 27, 2012 my class visited the Atlanta History Center for our field trip. I enjoyed the field trip very much especially when we played the civil war game. In the game, I played a character whose name was William Carney. William was part of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry. In the game, I had to make many decisions. For each decision I made, I could gain or lose points and these points will determine if I lived or died. My decisions were not that great because my character ended up going insane and dying.

I learn quite a bit on the field trip. The things that stuck with me the most was that many people died in Word War II. Also, during slavery black people could work better in the sun because the color of their skin protected them from getting sun burnt. Finally, during the Civil War the northern and southern states were divided because of slavery. The northern states wanted to abolish slavery but the southern sates wanted to keep slaves to work on the plantations.

This is the Atlanta History Center.

I hope you enjoyed my post and learned about the Tuskegee Airmen. Come back to visit soon.





Photograaph Credits to the following websites:

http://www.coinlink.com/Resources/congressional-gold-medals/congressional-gold-medals/http://sanford-soccer-net.blogspot.com/2011_12_11_archive.html

http://www.redtailreborn.com/Red_Tail_Reborn/Cast_%26_Crew.html

http://www.history.com/news/2012/01/20/the-tuskegee-airmen-5-fascinating-facts/

http://www.army.mil/article/3028/

http://fdrlibrary.wordpress.com/tag/tuskegee-airmen/

http://offthebase.wordpress.com/2011/02/10/come-face-to-face-with-history-tuskegee-airmen/

http://whereintheworldispatty.com/

http://www.jordansagenda.com/category/atlanta-history-museum/

 

Birds And More Birds

Welcome back to my blog!  We have finally gotten to my favorite group of animals. I thought we would never get here.  We see these animals all around us. We may call them the flying feathered ones or just birds.  Today, you will learn about what all birds have in common, what are the different feather types and how a bird is able to fly. 

What makes a bird a bird?????

Is it singing ability?  Is it dancing ability? 

 Well, these are four characteristics shared by all birds:

1.      They all are endothermic and vertebrates

2.      They all have wings

3.      They all have bills or beaks

4.      The females all lay eggs to reproduce

Endotherms and Vertebrates

All birds are endotherms and vertebrates.  This means that they all have a back bone and they keep their bodies at a constant internal body temperature of about 40 degrees Celsius. 

Wings

Not all flying animals are birds and not all birds can fly. I hope that I did not confuse you.  Think about this, Bats fly but they are mammals and not birds.  Look at the ostrich, it is a bird but it cannot fly.   All birds have wings but some wings are developed to help the bird fly but others are not.  Flying birds' wings are shaped to provide lift.  Flightless birds like the penguins may not be able to use their wings to fly but it comes in handy to help them swim fast.

 Look at those HUGE wings of the Bald Eagle!  It is the national bird of America.




 I may not be able to fly but I am one quick swimmer, thanks to my wings.
 

Bills and Beaks

No toothbrush or toothpaste for these animals, lucky birds.  They don’t have to worry about cavities because birds don’t have any teeth.  Birds have what you call bills or beaks.  Their bills or beaks are made of the protein keratin and come in many shapes and sizes depending on what they eat. Herons beaks are sharp and pointed to help them catch fish. Finches have short cone shaped beaks for cracking open seeds.  Bills and beaks can be very dangerous weapons, so stay away.  I will never forger screaming and being chased down the street by a goose which was trying to peck me.

Look at the Herons sharp beak !!!

Check out the cone shaped beaks of the finches !!!

Lay Eggs

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Pick me, I know the answer. How about both. There is not a correct answer to this question. All birds lay eggs to reproduce. Female birds lay their eggs in a nest and sit on them to incubate them. These egg shells have to be strong enough so the mother does not break it by accident. Eggs shells are made of calcium carbonate which is the same chemical that seashells are made of.


This is a chicken nest.

What are Contour Feathers and Down Feathers?

If you look closely at a chicken or any other bird’s body you will notice that there are two types of feathers. These feathers are called contour feathers and down feathers. Contour feathers are the strong and lightweight feathers. They are very colorful, smooth and sleek shape. If you have ever seen a Native American headdress you will notice lots of beautiful and colorful contour feathers. Down feathers are the soft and fluffy feathers closest to the skin which keep birds warm. Did you know that Down feathers are also used by people to stay warm? Down feathers are very fluffy and warm in pillows and comforters but if you suffer from allergies like I do, stay away. Check out this Native American Headdress with colorful
contour feathers.

  

 How Are A Bird's Feathers, Air Sacs, and Skeleton Adapted for Flight?

Man has always wanted to fly like the birds. Although the airplane was invented, man is still not happy and is continuing to invent things like jet packs to try to be like the birds. In order for a bird to fly it must have a very light and strong skeleton, wings and feathers. Contour feathers allow birds to fly. These feathers are lightweight and are located on the bird’s wings and tail to help it steer and not tip over. In order to get up and stay in the air a bird has to be light. I mean light as a feather. That is why most of a bird’s bones are hollow and filled with air sacs.
A bird's light and hollow bone. A bird's wing covered with feathers.

I Really Like This Bird?

I like the Sulfur-Crested Cockatoo because it can imitate people talking and it can be an excellent pet. The first time I saw a Sulfur-Crested Cockatoo was in the movie Rio. Do you remember that evil bird? The Sulfur-Crested Cockatoo has a bright yellow crest and the rest of his feathers are white which is a very unusual color for a parrot. You see, parrots are the world most colorful birds however, the Sulfur– Crested Cockatoo is not so much. This bird lives in a range of different habitats. You can find it from forest to farmland, roosting high in eucalyptus trees. This bird’s home is Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand.

These are two Sulfur-Crested Cockatoos.

Here is the Sulfur Crested Cockatoo from Rio.

What is Georgia State Bird?

The official bird of the State of Georgia is the Brown Thrasher. Brown Thrashers are what you would call a copy cat. They mimic the calls of other birds. They are heard before they are seen. You can find them in dense vegetation, fields, and woods looking for food on the ground. These birds are extremely secretive and it can be hard to find them. This would definitely explain why I have lived in Georgia all my life and have never seen one of these birds.

Sorry Mr. Brown Thrasher, I have never met you.

Please come back to visit and check out my bird joke!!!!!!!!


Q: If a rooster lays an egg on the middle of a slanted roof, on which side will it fall?
A: Neither side. Roosters don't lay eggs!

Sharks

Today I am going to talk about sharks, yes Sharks! Everytime you talk about sharks you think about these

vicious, unstoppable, killing machines well actually their pretty cool.