Design, Make and Fly a Paper Airplane/Space Orbiter Objectives: Students will study examples of model airplanes. Students will gain a better understanding of the history of flight. Students will explore the basic principals of aeronautics/flying Students will define the keywords Students will design, make and fly a paper airplane/orbiter. Students will read and follow directions. Students will work individually and in groups on assembling paper airplanes/orbiters Students will work as a part of a design team or with a partner to collect flight data. Students will use the scientific method and gain a better understanding of the terms questioning, hypothesis, research, process, experiment/test, analysis, and average. Students will write directions/processes for creating/designing their paper plane. Students will journal ideas and observations during designing, testing and adjustment process. Students will collect data from final flight(s). Students will present and display data with a chart and graph. Suggested Grades: Third through fifth grade Subject Areas: Science Mathematics Language Arts Social Studies Visual Arts Technology Timeline: Approximately Five 45 minute periods National Standards: NS.5-8.1 SCIENCE AS INQUIRY NS.5-8.2 PHYSICAL SCIENCE NS.5-8.5 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY NS.5-8.6 PERSONAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES NS.5-8.7 HISTORY AND NATURE OF SCIENCE
NA-VA.5-8.1 UNDERSTANDING AND APPLYING MEDIA, TECHNIQUES, AND PROCESSES NA-VA.5-8.2 USING KNOWLEDGE OF STRUCTURES AND FUNCTIONS NA-VA.5-8.3 CHOOSING AND EVALUATING A RANGE OF SUBJECT MATTER, SYMBOLS, AND IDEAS NA-VA.5-8.4 UNDERSTANDING THE VISUAL ARTS IN RELATION TO HISTORY AND CULTURES NA-VA.5-8.5 REFLECTING UPON AND ASSESSING THE CHARACTERISTICS AND MERITS OF THEIR WORK AND THE WORK OF OTHERS NA-VA.5-8.6 MAKING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN VISUAL ARTS AND OTHER DISCIPLINES NL-ENG.K-12.8 DEVELOPING RESEARCH SKILLS NL-ENG.K-12.11 PARTICIPATING IN SOCIETY NL-ENG.K-12.12 APPLYING LANGUAGE SKILLS NM-NUM.3-5.1 NM-NUM.3-5.2 NM-NUM.3-5.3 NSS-WH.5-12.7 ERA 7: AN AGE OF REVOLUTIONS, 1750-1914 NSS-WH.5-12.8 ERA 8: A HALF-CENTURY OF CRISIS AND ACHIEVEMENT, 1900-1945 NSS-WH.5-12.9 ERA 9: THE 20TH CENTURY SINCE 1945: PROMISES AND PARADOXES NSS-USH.5-12.7 ERA 7: THE EMERGENCE OF MODERN AMERICA (1890-1930) NSS-USH.5-12.8 ERA 8: THE GREAT DEPRESSION AND WORLD WAR II (1929-1945) NSS-USH.5-12.9 ERA 9: POSTWAR UNITED STATES (1945 TO EARLY 1970s) NSS-USH.9-12.10 ERA 10: CONTEMPORARY UNITED STATES (1968 TO THE PRESENT) NT.K-12.3 TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS NT.K-12.4 TECHNOLOGY COMMUNICATION TOOLS NT.K-12.5 TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH TOOLS NT.K-12.6 TECHNOLOGY PROBLEM- SOLVING AND DECISION-MAKING TOOLS Background: This activity is to see students work cooperatively, gather data and information, and make changes based on test results. Each group will select a final proto type that they believe will fly the farthest. Students will gather data using a chart and graph. The entire class will test their air planes/orbiters to see what design flies the farthest by averaging the distances flown in three test flights. Vocabulary: Space Shuttle Aerodynamics Aeronautics Airplane Orbiter Aviation Materials: Flying Videos/Clips (see reference list) Additional Word(s) Model airplane Paper airplane Transportation
Books and Internet Print outs about airplanes, Space Shuttle/Orbiter, aviation, aeronautics, and model airplanes 8.5 X 11 paper Construction paper Markers Crayons Paper clips Graph paper Scissors Lesson Plan: Discuss with the students to create background knowledge of flying, airplanes, space shuttle, etc. Show a few Video Clips - http://www.metacafe.com/watch/64389/extreme_flying/ or a video about flying, airplanes Discuss the clips, whole class. Discuss and define the meaning of the key words. Discuss the general principals of airplanes and flying. Discuss safety rules and create a list for safely test flying or throwing paper airplanes. *Students that are not following the rules will lose the privilege to participate. Pass out the books and articles on flying, airplanes, and Space Shuttle. Hand out several sheets of 8.5 X 11 paper and the Simple Folding Example hand out and Individual Data Sheet handout. Explain the Scientific Method (See Attached). Allow time for students to fill out the Scientific Method sheet and practice their folding techniques. Organize students into partners or small groups. Explain that the students in each group will design, create, and test paper airplanes. Give each group the handouts containing various Paper Airplane Designs and Types of paper airplanes/orbiters and Scoring Rubrics. Each group will need to study the examples on the printouts and students in each group will work together to design and build a paper airplane. Groups/individuals will create a detailed list of steps/instructions for creating their paper airplane. Groups will test their various proto types in an attempt to create the Very Best Paper Airplane. Students will gather data concerning their test flights in a chart and graph. Groups will present their final paper airplane and the data to the class. Entire class will test fly their paper airplanes in the gymnasium. Be sure to mark each distance with masking tape and create a chart of data. Create a class graph to display. Extension: 1. Decorate - Allow students/groups to decorate their model airplanes how they like. 2. Further Research - Students can research online and through books about paper airplanes, model planes aviation, etc. 3. Crete additional planes/orbiters - The groups can build additional models from online or library sources.
4. Individual/Independent - Students may need to work individually to build their paper airplane/orbiter. Assessment: Evaluate group/students' participation, paper airplane designs, data gathering, charts/graphs created and the presentation. (See Rubric attached) Final Thoughts: Display outside the room, students airplanes/orbiters, charts and graphs when activity is completed. Allow journaling and discuss what they learned from the activity. Review the scientific process. Review what changes they did because of testing and how it worked out. Check predictions and discuss there accuracy. Review the graphs and look for similarities in designs and distance. References: Paper Airplanes, Amazing Paper Airplanes Retrieved on July 17, 2007 from http://www. amazingpaperairplanes.com/ Extreme Flying Video. Metacafe, Inc. Retrieved on July 19, 2007, from http://www. metacafe.com/watch/64389/extreme_flying/ Mitchell, David, Paper airplanes: How to make and fly them. 2006. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. New York, New York Paper Plane. Wikipedia. Retrieved on July 18, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/paper_plane Steps of the Scientific Method. Kenneth Lafferty Hess Family Charitable Foundation. Retrieved on July 17, 2007, from http://www.sciencebuddies. org/mentoring/project_scientific_method.shtml Extreme Flying Video. Metacafe, Inc. Retrieved on July 19, 2007, from http://www. metacafe.com/watch/64389/extreme_flying/ Addendum: worksheets
Simple Folding Example Attachment 1 8.5 X 11 Paper
Attachment 2 Paper Airplane/Orbiter Data Sheet Design Team Name Name of Members Prediction: I think the paper airplane will fly farthest because Distance traveled Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5 Trial 6 Trial 7 Trial 8 Yes, I need to change the design. No, the paper airplane does not need modification. Try changing your design to make the paper airplane fly further I will change to increase distance flown because Distance traveled Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5 Trial 6 Trial 7 Trial 8 Yes, the paper airplane traveled farther. No, the paper airplane did not travel farther. Observation Notes: Distance traveled Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5 Trial 6 Trial 7 Trial 8 Yes, the paper airplane traveled farther. No, the paper airplane did not travel farther. Final Notes:
Attachment 3a Simple Paper Airplane/Orbiter Designs More Designs Complex Advanced
Attachment 3b nt 3b Unusual Designs
Attachment 4a Scientific Method Flow diagram describing the scientific method.
Individual Data Collection Design and Create a Student Name: Steps of the scientific method are to: 1. Ask a Question Attachment 4b 2. Do Background Research 3. Construct a Hypothesis 4. Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment/Testing 5. Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion 6. Change your Hypothesis (if necessary) 7. Share/Communicate Your Results Notes:
Attachment 5 Paper Air Plane/Orbiter Scoring Rubric 100 points possible Team Name - Member's Name - Fly-ability: (15) Fly-able plane: 15 points Almost Fly-able: 10 points Not fly-able: 5 point Artistic Design: (60) Dramatic design: 15 points Use of color: 15 points Includes Name of student: 15 points Includes Name of aircraft: 15 points /15 /60 Construction: (15) Clean lines,well defined and well constructed: 15 points Lines not defined and only basic construction: 10 points Lines unclear and poorly constructed 5 points Participation: (10) *Individual* Participated in flight event: 5 point Participated in construction: 5 point /15 /10 Total Score /100