Creating a Paper Airplane: a 5th grade Science Inquiry

Essential Question: How did the forces of flight impact the creation of your paper airplane?

Goal: to create a paper airplane.
Step 1: Discuss and create a paper airplane.
Step 2: Draw the plane you created.
Step 3: Fly your plane.
Step 4: Record the data. How far did the plane fly?
Step 5: Observe the flight of other's planes. Which were the three that flew the furthest? Why do you think they flew further than yours? What modifications could you make to your plane?
Step 6: Modify your airplane. How did you modify it? explain
Step 7: Draw the second plane. Make sure to illustrate the modifications.
Step 8: Fly the second plane.
Step 9: Record the results. How far did it fly? Did your plane fly further this time?
Step 10: What worked better this time? What would you still adjust?
Step 11: Report the results.

After we were done, we read an article on aerodynamics and discussed what modifications we could still make to our planes to make them fly further. This inquiry activity allowed our class to learn about the scientific process in a fun and exciting way!

 

Save Fred!

This week we have been doing many team building games and activities in order to get to know one another. Today we worked in partners on a problem solving activity. I told the class:
We all solve problems every day—from little problems like what to wear to school, to bigger problems like whether to get a job or go to college. Different kinds of problems require different problem-solving approaches. One problem can often be solved in more than one way.

Then I gave them this problem!

Poor Fred! He was sailing along on a boat (your plastic cup) when a strong wind blew it upside-down. Fred (your candy worm) ended up on top of the upside-down boat. Unfortunately for Fred, his life preserver (your candy life preserver) is still trapped under the boat. Your job is to place the life preserver firmly around Fred’s body, but you must obey three rules:
1. Fred may not fall into the “sea” (onto the table) more than one time; if he does, Fred “drowns.”
2. You may not injure him in any way.
3. You may use only the four paper clips to move Fred, the boat, and the life preserver. You may not touch anything except the paper clips.

Below is our class "Saving" Fred!