Curated OER
Flight Dreams - Folding into Flight
Combine measurement, following directions, physics, and art with one fun activity. Learners read a set of instruction to create three different kinds of paper airplanes. They measure, fold, and fly the planes, and record data and answer...
Teach Engineering
Building-Testing-Improving Paper Airplanes: Head's Up!
Take foldables to all new heights. Pupils build and fly different types of paper airplanes in the 14th portion of a 22-part unit on aviation. Groups collect data on distance and flight time for each plane and compare the data from the...
Curated OER
Build a Paper Plane
Students study the history of the paper plane. In this design lesson students create several types of paper planes and determine if there is a difference in mean flight distances.
Teach Engineering
Take Off with Paper Airplanes
Let's go fly a kite ... oops, a paper airplane! The 13th segment in an aviation unit of 22 relates the parts of an airplane to paper airplanes. Pupils learn the functions of the control surfaces of a plane to really make their knowledge...
Teach Engineering
Airplane Tails and Wings: Are You in Control?
Keep everything under control. The lesson, the 16th segment in a 22-part unit, provides a more detailed look at the parts of a plane, specifically the control surfaces. Pupils learn about the construction of the wings and the tails and...
Curated OER
Abstract Planes in Paper Sculpture
High schoolers create maquettes of abstract sculptures utilizing the elements of art; line, shape, value, color, space and texture and the principles of design; balance, emphasis, contrast, rhythm and movement, pattern and unity. These...
Curated OER
Paper Planes
In this unit, 3rd graders investigate one variable to see if they can make a paper plane fly farther. They use scatter plots to establish a possible relationship between variables then use what they have found to make a paper plane to...
Inside Mathematics
Aaron's Designs
Working with transformations allows the class to take a turn for the better. The short assessment has class members perform transformations on the coordinate plane. The translations, reflections, and rotations create pattern designs on...
Teach Engineering
Better By Design
Which modification is the best? Using the scientific method, pairs determine the effects of each control surface on the distance of a glider's flight. The activity, section 16 in a 22-part unit on aviation, allows pupils to gain a better...
Curated OER
Symmetry in Paper Airplanes
Young scholars explore symmetry. For this geometry and scientific inquiry lesson, students design paper airplanes with middle line symmetry, as well as right, obtuse, and acute angles. Young scholars measure the plane's angles using a...
Curated OER
Aerospace/Aeronautical Engineering: Build a Paper Airplane
Students brainstorm what it is like to fly on an airplane and discuss the parts of a plane. Students construct a paper plane of their own, decorate it, have a competition, and discuss the importance of each part of a plane and the role...
Curated OER
Mapping a Site Using a Coordinate Plane
Learners map their playground as if it were an archeological site. They locate objects on the playground and determine their location using coordinate points. A related instructional activity is Coordinate Grid: Mapping an Archeological...
Curated OER
Paper Airplanes and Scientific Methods
In this scientific method and paper airplanes worksheet, students go through the steps of the scientific method to determine which paper airplane design is best. They complete 8 steps of the scientific method including stating the...
NASA
The X-1 Paper Glider Kit
After reading an interesting account of how the X-1 aircraft was designed, built, and utilized, young engineers try their hand at constructing a paper glider version of the airplane. They cut out the plane out of a nicely designed...
Curated OER
Coordinate Planes
Identifying the location of ordered pairs on coordinate planes is the focus in the math lesson presented here. In it, 4th graders are introduced to coordinate pairs, the x/y axis, and the techniques associated with this type of graphing....
US Department of Energy
Go Far Cars Ramp: A Basic Ramp with Four Height Settings
Precise measurements make the job easier! One of the challenges when using an inclined plane for testing comes from pupils not using exact measurements. They often rely on books that slide or different ramp lengths when experimenting. By...
Curated OER
Graphs and Functions
Middle schoolers describe plotting functions on the Cartesian coordinate plane. They solve functions on paper and using an online tool to plot points on a Cartesian coordinate plane creating lines and parabolas.
Leadership Challenge
Paper Airplanes
The first activity in this leadership forum asks pairs of participants to design and build a paper airplane and then fly this plane from one partner to the other. The debrief of the activity asks these future leaders to consider how they...
Curated OER
Ramps 1: Let It Roll!
Students explore and measure the rate of spherical objects rolling down a ramp. They discuss why different ramps work better than others, and practice procedures for testing designs and recording results.
Curated OER
How do engineless planes stay aloft?
Fifth graders explore how a plane can stay aloft. For this engineless airplane flying lesson, 5th graders experiment to find how the design of a plane and Bernoulli's principle keep planes in the air. Student's create a plane and answer...
Curated OER
Designing a 2-liter Pop Bottle Piece to be Used for Water Rockets
Students design and create water rockets using recycled materials. In this technology lesson plan, students measure and sketch their project design before drawing them using SolidWorks. They construct the bottle as accurately as possible.
NASA
Rocket Wind Tunnel
Using a teacher-built wind tunnel constructed from a paper concrete tube form, a fan, and a balance, individuals determine the amount of drag their rocket design will experience in flight. Pupils make modifications to increase the...
Curated OER
Paper Airplanes
Students study paper airplanes. In this lesson on aerodynamics, students print out the folding directions for making paper airplanes and after making the planes test their paper airplanes to see how well each flies. Students weigh their...
Curated OER
Paper Airplane Activity
Ninth graders select and build one of five different paper airplane designs and test them for distance and for time aloft. Part of this activity is designed to explore NASA developed software, FoilSim, with respect to the lift of an...