Professional Learning  ›  Content-Area Teaching  ›  Workshops  ›  Drone Technology & UAS
a ready-to-run workshopDrone Technology & UAS
← Professional LearningContent-Area Teaching · Workshop

Teaching Drone Technology & UAS (Workshop)

Drones, or unmanned aircraft systems, are a fast-growing field spanning agriculture, mapping, inspection, photography, and more, and teaching them combines engaging hands-on flight with rigorous STEM, regulations, and real careers. Taught well, the excitement of flying becomes genuine technical learning.

Key takeaway

Drones, or UAS, span a fast-growing field from mapping to agriculture to inspection; teaching them combines hands-on flight with rigorous STEM, regulations, and real careers, turning the excitement of flying into technical learning.

Format
PLC / team meeting
Length
45 minutes
Group size
Any (works 4-40)
Who can run it
Any teacher-leader
You will need
Slides (5)Printed handoutA drone project in mindA timer
Aligned to
Learning Forward: Rigorous ContentInTASC 4: Content KnowledgeCTE / STEM standards
Share / assign

Why it works

Unmanned aircraft systems (drones) are a rapidly growing field with applications across industries (aerial photography and mapping, agriculture, inspection, surveying, public safety, delivery), creating new careers, and they make an engaging vehicle for rigorous STEM: the physics of flight, programming and automation, sensors and data, plus regulations and ethics (airspace rules, privacy, safety) and real technical skills (piloting, mission planning, data processing). Strong drone education channels the excitement of flight into genuine STEM, technical skill-building, and career awareness, including the regulatory and safety knowledge the field requires, rather than stopping at recreational flying.

The research: CTE and STEM standards; UAS education.

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

    The core activity: channel flight into STEM and careers

    Teachers leave with a drone project grounded in STEM, safety, and careers.

    Flight into STEM, with safety and careersDrone education channels flight into rigorous STEM, technical skills, and regulations, toward fast-growing careers. Teach the science, skills, and safety, not just recreational flying.

    Facilitator notes

    Recreational flying alone is not drone educationFlying for fun misses the STEM, regulations, and technical skills. Teach the science, safety, and career-connected competencies of UAS.

    Adapt it

    Participant handout

    One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

    K12 Academics · Professional Learning

    Drone Technology: flight into STEM

    <b>Fast-growing field:</b> flight STEM, programming, sensors, data, plus regulations, safety, and career connections.

    1. The drone or UAS topic or project:
    2. The STEM behind it (flight physics, programming, sensors, data):
    3. The regulations, safety, and ethics:
    4. The technical skills I build:
    5. The careers I connect to:

    Make it stick

    Flight into STEM:

    Common questions

    Isn't teaching drones just flying for fun?
    Flying is engaging, but drone education covers rigorous STEM (flight physics, programming, sensors, data), regulations and safety, and real technical skills (mission planning, data processing), toward growing careers. Channel the fun into learning.
    What careers does it connect to?
    Aerial photography and mapping, agriculture, inspection and surveying, public safety, and more, a fast-growing set of fields using drones. Plus the STEM and technical skills transfer widely.
    What about rules and safety?
    Central. Airspace regulations, privacy, and safety are part of the field and must be taught. Responsible, informed operation is a core competency.

    Go deeper

    Build it into a bigger day

    Workshop
    Teaching Engineering & Design
    Workshop
    Teaching Computer Science
    Workshop
    Aviation & Aerospace Education