Physics: Technology // Biology: Endangered Species // Earth Science: Natural Resources

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Drones could act like

high-tech blimps,
announcing sales.

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ne day in the not-so-distant future,

an unmanned aerial vehicle, also
known as a drone, flies over an
apple orchard.
As it zips around, it snaps highdefinition photos and runs them through
software that analyzes the crops health.
The software homes in on a corner of the
field that doesnt look so good: Insects are
attacking the apples. The drone turns and
heads toward the area. Sprayers on its wings

dispense pesticide, killing the damaging

insects. Then the drone returns to its patrol
(see 1 in illustration, next page).
Weeks later, an apple from that same
orchard arrives at a grocery warehouse near
you. From your cell phone, you add it to your
cart and click deliver. Twenty minutes later,
you hear a whirring noise outside. A different
drone lands on your doorstep. It sets your
apple down and zips away.
Continued on page 3

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911 delivery

During medical
emergencies, drones
could quickly deliver
life-saving medicine
or supplies to hospitals.

drones
at war

Sheriff in
the sky

Drones could keep

watch over city
streets and let the
police know if they
spot crimes. They
could even give
parking tickets.

fighting fires

Drones could carry

large amounts of water
to help put out fires.

Drones are playing an

increasingly important
role in warfare around the
world. In fact, nearly one
in three American military
aircraft are drones. And
not all of them are the
size of model airplanes
the U.S. Air Forces
MQ-9 Reaper can carry
1,360 kilograms (3,000
pounds) of weaponry.
Other countries,
including China, Italy,
and Turkey, have military
drones too. Although the
numbers are classified,
the U.S. appears to
use them the most. The
targets mostly seem to
be the extremist groups
Al Qaeda and the
Taliban, in Pakistan and
neighboring Afghanistan.
The U.S. and its allies
have been at war in
Afghanistan since 2001.
The benefit of drones
is that because theyre
operated remotely,
soldiers can be kept out
of danger. But concerns
have been raised about
the militarys use of
drones: Do they make it
easier to fight because
the operator generally
doesnt have to head into
battle zones? Do drones
make war seem more like
video games than life-ordeath struggles?
Whatever the pros
and cons of drones in
warfare, theyre likely
to play a bigger role on
battlefields around the
world in years ahead.
illustrations: Sergey Kostik;
PHOTO: Erik de Castro/Reuters

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TODAYS DRONES
Drones were first built in the early 1900s
for military pilots and gunners to use as
target practice. Today the military remains
the leading user of drones (see Drones at
War, p. 2). But as drones have become
smaller and more affordable, people outside
the military have begun to use them.
The thing that really surprised me when
I started working with drones is that there
are so many applications right off the bat,
says Christopher Vo, director of education for the DC Area Drone User Group in
Washington, D.C.
Today, the hottest
application for

how
camera
drones
work

Flying robots can capture

the action at sporting events,
take photos of wildlife, or
conduct spy missions.

flight control

Software determines if the motors

need more or less power to keep the drone steady.

radio control

Controllers tell the drone what to do via radio signal.

The drone can be told to fly faster, descend, etc.

navigation

GPS and a barometer, which measures atmospheric

pressure, tell the flight control software where the drone
is located and how it can return to home base.

camera

A camera can record and send video. The camera stays

focused on the target while the drone flies.

drones is in Hollywood ( 2 ).
Filmmakers are using drones
equipped with cameras to capture
footage that would otherwise be dangerous
and expensive to shoot. Action scenes, for
example, have traditionally been filmed using
helicopters. To capture the shot, the crew
sometimes performs risky maneuvers, flying
very low and close to the subject being
filmed. The helicopters are also expensive to
rent: They can cost $10,000 per day.
Camera drones, by contrast, can get close
to the action without endangering lives. And
theyre far less expensive than helicopters:
A state-of-the-art camera drone costs about
$25,000 and can be used over and over again.
Drones are also being used in the new
field of precision agriculture, like the hightech apple orchard you read about earlier.
Todays farms can span as many as 10,000
acres. With all that land to monitor, farmers
rely on technology to help them keep an eye
on their crops. To do that, they currently
purchase photographs taken by satellites.
But these images are expensive to buy,
and since theyre taken from space, they
dont show fine detail.
So farmers are starting to turn
to drones. Drones relatively low
cost means they can be out over
the fields every day, monitoring the
crops and alerting the farmer when
an area looks like it needs more
attention. Because that lets farmers
target spots that need treatment, they
can use less water, fertilizer, and pesticides
overall, which saves money and is better
for the environment. Brian Taylor, director
of the University of Minnesota Uninhabited
Aerial Vehicle Laboratory, estimates that
most farmers in the U.S. will use drones
within five years.

TOMORROWS DRONES
In 2012, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
got a $5 million grant from Google to come
up with new ways to end wildlife crime in
Africa and Asia. The solution: camera drones.
This year, the animal conservation group
will launch drones to watch over rhinos,
elephants, and tigers. The drones will help
scientists track down poachers who hunt

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CHARLES PLATIAU/Reuters/Corbis

This scenario sounds like science fiction.

But scientists think it could become a
realityand probably sooner than you
think. From moviemakers to animal
conservationists, people are already finding
ways to use drones.

Jason South/FAirfax Syndication (Left); Skip Peterson/Reuters (Right)

privacy invasion?
How would you feel if a drone
took a photo of you sunbathing
or walking home from school?

the endangered animals and illegally sell

their horns, tusks, and eyes to be used in
everything from carved trinkets to traditional
Chinese medicines.
In the U.S., Mark Ditmer and John
Vincent, biologists at the University of
Minnesota, hope to use drone technology
to study American black bears ( 3 ). The
bears live in dense forest vegetation, which
makes them hard to find, and they often flee
when they sense humans nearby. Even if
scientists manage to get close, their presence
can change the bears behavior. Ditmer and
Vincent hope to use camera drones to solve
both problems.
The pair want to test their idea on black
bears that have already been implanted
with devices that measure their heart rates.
Data from those devices will tell Ditmer and
Vincent if the drones stress the bears. If not,
scientists may be able to use drones to study
all kinds of animals in their natural habitats.

FLIGHT DELAY
The bear project is on hold as Ditmer and
Vincent wait for approval from the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA). The government agency is currently facing a debate
about privacy and safety issues.
The public is concerned that camera
drones could be used to peer into
windows and spy on people.
And since drones dont have
flight guidelines, critics worry
that they could crash into

buildings, people, and

other drones. Before
drones can be flown
over populated areas,
says Taylor, rules
are needed about
who can fly them, and
when and where.

air DELIVERY
Some companies arent
letting these hurdles stop them
from investigating uses for drones.
Amazon says it intends to start a new
service called Prime Air ( 4 ) as early as
2015. It says it will be able to deliver packages via drone in under 30 minutes. Pizza
deliveries could follow ( 5 ).
Drones might even deliver Internet
access. Facebook is working on a project
that would launch drones that broadcast
Internet signals to parts of the world that
arent connected ( 6 ).
FAA guidelines could help clear the way
for personal drones too. Already, anyone can
go online and buy a camera drone for a few
hundred dollars. In the near future, people
could use drones to snap selfies from the
perfect vantage point ( 7 ) or record footage
as people skateboard ( 8 ) or play soccer ( 9 ).
Someday, personal drones could even race
you during your workout ( 10 ).
Experts say that once we figure out the
rules, the sky isliterallythe limit. 9

Stephanie Warren

FLY ON THE
WALL: The U.S. Air
Force aims to make
drones so tiny that
they resemble small
birds and insects.

Core
Question
Use the text to cite
two jobs drones
could perform in
the near future.
What are some of
the pros and cons
of using drones?

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LESSON PLANs

DRONES take off

Lexile 1170

5. Have students complete the persuasive essay on drones as

a homework assignment.

DISCUSSION
Many scientists and officials dont like the word drone. They
prefer unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs. Ask students: Does
the word drone have a negative connotation? Why or why not?

ASSESSMENT PACKAGE

Assessments are tailored to different science disciplines and

the Common Core State Standards. Subscribers can find the
assessment package for every Science World feature article at
www.scholastic.com/scienceworld. All of the skills sheets for
this article are available to you for free on the following pages.

standards
NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION StandardS:
Grades 5-8: Science and technology in society
Grades 9-12: Science and technology in local, national,
and global challenges
NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS:
ESS3.C: Human impacts on Earth systems
Common Core State StandardS:
Writing Standards: 1. Write arguments to support claims
in an analysis of topics, using relevant and sufficient
evidence.

OBJECTIVE
Learn about current and future uses for drones as well as
arguments for and against the unmanned flying vehicles.

physics/common core: critical thinking

WHATS YOUR OPINION?
Students will gather evidence from the article to
write a persuasive essay about whether or not
drones are a good idea.

biology: map reading

tracking ivory
Drones may help in the fight against poaching.
Students will learn about elephant poaching and
hone their map-reading skills with this activity.

LESSON

1. Print pages 1 to 4 of this PDF (excerpted from a recent

issue of Science World). Display the pages on a whiteboard

or computer as students read their copies. Ask the class
what they know about drones. (They are unmanned flying
vehicles; they are used in wars; Amazon has announced
plans to use them to deliver packages in the future; etc.)
What are some pros and cons of drones? (They keep soldiers
safe; they can be misused; they could be used to invade
peoples privacy; etc.) Take a pre-reading poll of the class to
determine how many students think drones are a good idea.

2. Hand out the Whats Your Opinion?

skills sheet below (also available to subscribers
at www.scholastic.com/scienceworld).

chemistry: reading comprehension

clearing the air
Have students read this passage to learn how
drones are being used to fight air pollution in
China.

earth science: reading comprehension

birds-eye view
Students will develop their readingcomprehension skills and learn how drones are
helping scientists study volcanoes.

resources
3. Ask students to read the article independently. As they

read, have them fill out the first section of the skills sheet.

4. When everyone has finished, discuss the pros and cons

of drones. Re-poll the class to see if opinions have changed
about whether or not drones are a good idea.

VIDEO EXTRA: Subscribers and their students can watch a

video about drones at www.scholastic.com/scienceworld.
Learn about how the Orangutan Conservancy uses drones to
monitor wildlife: www.orangutan.com/projects
/conservation-drone-project/
Learn about camera-carrying drones at: www.livescience
.com/43303-cool-camera-carrying-drones.html

For more information or To order,

call 1-800-scholastic
or visit www.scholastic.com/buy-SW

PHYSICS/COMMON CORE: critical thinking

Name:

WHATS YOUR OPINION?

In the Drones Take Off article, you read about the possible uses of drones as well as the concerns that some critics have
about the flying machines. Are drones a good idea? Gather evidence from the article and combine it with your own opinions to
argue each side of the debate. Write the information on the lines below.

YES, drones are good!

1. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

NO, drones are bad!

1. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

DECIDE WHAT YOU THINK: Examine the evidence you have gathered. Then state your opinion about drones in one

sentence below.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
On a separate piece of paper, write an argument about the topic. Your essay should clearly state your opinion and include at
least three pieces of evidence that support your argument.
Permission granted by Science World to reproduce for classroom use only.
2014 by Scholastic Inc.

To order, call 1-800-scholastic

or visit www.scholastic.com/buy-SW

BIOLOGY: MAP READING

Name:

TRACKING IVORY

In the Drones Take Off article, you learned that the World Wildlife Fund plans to launch camera drones to help track down
poachers who illegally hunt endangered animals. Elephants are frequently killed for their ivory tusks. The map below shows
how elephant ranges have decreased and where ivory is in highest demand. Study the map and then answer the questions
that follow.

ivory
trade
map
EUROPE
ASIA

CHINA
JAPAN

PACIFIC
OCEAN

INDIA
AFRICA
VIETNAM

PHILIPPINES

color code:

THAILAND
MALAYSIA

sian countries
A
with the most
ivory seized,
1989-2011

SINGAPORE

ATLANTIC
OCEAN

ange of
R
elephants in
Africa in 1979

INDIAN
OCEAN

AUSTRALIA

QUESTIONS

1. Which two continents shown on the map are most

involved in the ivory trade?

Demand for ivory

is highest in Asia.
Much of the ivory
there comes
from elephants
poached in Africa,
resulting in a
massive decline
in their range and
population.

ange of
R
elephants in
Africa in 2007

4. How many years separate the surveys that were used to

determine the extent of the two elephant ranges shown on

the map?

2. Name three countries with a high demand for ivory.

3. Which ocean separates the elephant population from the
countries where most of the ivory is bought?

Permission granted by Science World to reproduce for classroom use only.

2014 by Scholastic Inc.

5. Do you think fewer people would poach elephants if there

were camera drones watching over the animals?

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CHEMISTRY: READING COMPREHENSION

Name:

CLEARING THE AIR

In the Drones Take Off article, you learned about some ways drones could be used in civilian life. Read the following
passage to find out how drones are helping clean polluted skies. Then answer the questions that follow.

SMOG-FIGHTING DRONES

In 2014, the Chinese government declared war on air pollution. Some of the fighters aiming to
clean up the skies are unmanned drones.
Chinas air quality is among the worst in the world. Cars, coal-burning power plants, and
industrial processes release toxic chemicals that fill the skies with choking smog. In many
Chinese cities, the density of PM2.5 particle pollution (particles small enough to enter peoples
lungs and cause health problems) is often 20 times higher than the safe level recommended by
the World Health Organization.
Chinese officials have begun using aerial drones to try to clear the skies. The drones spray
smog-clearing chemicals into the air. The chemicals react with floating smog pollution, forming
a product that falls to the ground.
Traditional drones are expensive. In the spring of 2014, Chinese officials began testing a new
type of drone called a parafoil plane. Instead of sporting fixed wings like an airplane, the parafoil
plane hangs from a wide parachute that allows it to glide through the skies. Parafoil drones cost
90 percent less than traditional drones.

QUESTIONS

1. What are three sources of air pollution in China?

4. What is one benefit of the new parafoil plane drones?

2. What is PM2.5 particle pollution?

5. Critics of this method of fighting smog say it doesnt

really eliminate pollution from the environment. Use

evidence from the text to explain what they mean.

3. Why do you think scientists closely monitor levels of

PM2.5 particle pollution?

Permission granted by Science World to reproduce for classroom use only.

2014 by Scholastic Inc.

To order, call 1-800-scholastic

or visit www.scholastic.com/buy-SW

EARTH SCIENCE: READING COMPREHENSION

Name:

BIRDS-EYE VIEW

In the Drones Take Off article, isyou learned about some uses for drones. Read the following passage to learn how
scientists are using the vehicles to gather data about the toxic materials that spew from volcanoes. Then use complete
sentences to answer the questions that follow.

FLYING INTO An eruption

The skies above active volcanoes are dangerous spots. Toxic gases poison the air, and ash
particles can damage the engines of planes that fly too close. To stay safe, volcanologists are
flying unmanned aerial vehicles into volcanic plumes.
In 2013, scientists launched the first drone mission above Costa Ricas Turrialba volcano.
A cloud of toxic gases and ash streams steadily from vents on the active volcanos top. That
makes it an ideal spot to learn about the characteristics of volcanic plumes.
These clouds of noxious gases and ash can be a health hazard to surrounding communities.
Plus, sulfur dioxide gas can react with water in the air to create acid rain that kills vegetation. If
scientists can predict how the plumes will act, they can help keep people safe.
To collect data from Turrialba, scientists fitted three retired military drones with cameras
and equipment to collect air samples and take measurements such as temperature and sulfur
dioxide concentration. The first 10 flights were a success, and scientists are now busy planning
future missions.

QUESTIONS

1. Why is it dangerous for an airplane to fly close to

a volcano?

4. What type of information did the drones gather from the

Turrialba volcano?

2. Where was the first drone flown over a volcano?

5. Find two pieces of evidence from the passage that

support the following statement: Volcanoes can affect

living things that surround them.

3. What do you think the word noxious means?

Permission granted by Science World to reproduce for classroom use only.

2014 by Scholastic Inc.

To order, call 1-800-scholastic

or visit www.scholastic.com/buy-SW