General Information:

Main Activities:

Internet
Resources:

 

 
 [TLC Homepage]  [About the Project]  [Activities] [SUNRAY] [PT3]


Paper Airplane Lesson

General Information

Title:  Flying High in Math
Subject Areas: Math and Science
Grade Level:  7th
Teacher:  Kelli Mew (adapted from Sue Pittman)
School:  Gold Hill Middle School

Summary of Lesson:   The students will learn how real airplanes fly, then construct models of paper airplanes using design resources from the Internet and their own design.  The students will use web resources for ideas about paper airplanes. Each student will design three airplanes, create a spreadsheet to record data, and fly the airplanes to measure distances and time both inside and outside conditions. Measurements will be gathered for charts and graphs, stem and leaf plots, and to calculate mode, median, mean, and range.  This will also be a contest to see who can design the best paper airplane; the winner will be the one student whose airplane flies the farthest and also the student who has the longest flying plane.
Lesson Details
Objectives: 
  1. The student will be able to research and find information on airplanes and paper airplanes.
  2.   The student will be able to use research to design three paper airplanes.
  3. The student will be able to measure in centimeter units.
  4. The student will be able to measure time.
  5. The student will be able collect, organize, and analyze data.
  6. The student will be able to organize data into a spreadsheet.
  7. The student will be able to construct graphs, including stem-and-leaf plots.
  8. The student will be able to calculate the mode, median, mean, and range.
  9. The student will be able to follow multi-step directions.
 
Setting: Multi-computer classroom or lab
Procedures: 

Before the computer:
1)      “Hook” students by discussing if students have flown anywhere before and the amazement of flight itself.  Ask students how they think a plane flies—here their ideas.  Discuss how airplanes actually fly.
2)      Show students either on the Internet using resources to demonstrate how a plane flies.  Explain to students about Bernoulli’s Principle (see resources).
3)      Give students assignment sheet explaining task.
4)      Have books and computer(s) available for students to get ideas for their paper airplanes.

Between the computer times:
1)      Students will research using books and Internet resources provided by the teacher or search engine on how to construct paper airplanes.
2)      Remind the students that they want to design a paper airplane that will fly long and far.  There are some Internet resources that explain what makes a good paper airplane.
3)      Allow students to construct their models. They must prepare three—two can be from Internet resources, but one must be made on their own. Prepare for flight test.
4)      Have each student fly his or her three models from the same starting line. It would be great if you could use the gym for inside flight test.  Have someone record the time with a stopwatch and have another student measure the distance traveled.  Students need to record this data on their worksheet.  They will use this worksheet to use in the spreadsheet activity. Have other students to continue timing and measuring. Everyone should have a turn doing at least one job.
5)      Then take students outside for them to test their models in different conditions. Have them record data on their worksheet for outside conditions. Follow step four’s directions.
Technology Specific Activity: 

Computer lab
1)      From the students’ data sheets, the class will construct a spreadsheet with all students’ data from their longest flight time and farthest distance inside and outside conditions.
2)      From their data collected, students will use the graphing tool on Excel to create a line graph for the class set of data for inside and outside conditions.
3)      From their data collected, students will find the mean, median, mode, and range of the class data for both conditions.
Assessment: 

The students will turn in their spreadsheets and line graphs for the class set of data.
State Standards Met:

Measurement

II. B-1 Analyze a variety of measurement situations to determine the necessary degree of accuracy and precision.
II. C-1 Use measurements and formulas to solve real-world and mathematical problems.

Data Analysis and Statistics

I.A-1 Given a problem situation involving two populations, collect, analyze and interpret data.
I.B-1 Organize, display and interpret data in a variety of ways including box-and-whisker plots.
           
Materials needed:

  • 8 ˝” x 11” pieces of paper

  • rulers/yardsticks/meter sticks/measuring tapes

  • crayons, markers, etc. to decorate their planes

  • scissors, tape, pencils, worksheet to record data (chart)
Resources:

books from library on paper airplanes and airplanes
How they fly—  http://www.gleim.com/Aviation/howtheyfly.html

Experiment to do— http://www.go2dsc.org/sci8.html

How airplanes work            http://www.howstuffworks.com/airplane.htm

 “Best paper airplane” http://www.zurqui.com/crinfocus/paper/airplane.html

Paper Airplanes Resource http://teams.lacoe.edu/documentation/projects/math/airplane_
sites.html

Ken Blackburn (world record holder for paper airplane)
http://www.geocites.com/CapeCanaveral/1817
Software: Internet access, Microsoft Excel
Hardware: none needed
Time needed to complete activity: 2-3 hours


 

©2002 Winthrop University. All rights reserved. 
Last updated on February 15, 2002.
Contact Lisa Harris with comments.