About This Lesson
Subjects
- Science
- Engineering
- Math
Time
- 60-90 minutes
Skills
- Scientific Method
- Critical-Thinking
- Data Collection
- Measurement
Learning Objective/Goal:
- Students will understand the steps of the scientific method.
- Students will learn to collect, and interpret data.
- Students will be able to draw conclusions based on their experiments.
Materials Needed:
- Various types of paper (printer paper, construction paper, cardstock)
- Measuring tape or ruler
- Stopwatch
- Paper clips (for adding weight)
- Presentation and Worksheets to go with the lesson (linked at the end)
Background
- The scientific method is a systematic way of learning about the world around us and solving problems. By testing different variables that affect the flight of paper airplanes, students can explore concepts of aerodynamics and understand how changes in design and materials can influence outcomes.
Activity
Introduction (15 minutes):
- Begin with a brief discussion of the scientific method. Introduce the steps: Question, Research, Hypothesis, Experiment, Analysis, and Conclusion.
- Explain the purpose of each step and why it is important
- Introduce the idea of testing what makes a paper airplane fly farther
- Mention to the students that science is not always linear and that the steps may not happen exactly in that order
Planning and brainstorming (15 minutes):
- Have the students order all the steps of the scientific method after the presentation is done.
- Use the first part of the worksheet to let them brainstorm and think about observations of how it flys, materials they could use, and what they plan on testing
- They can then begin to describe their procedure (using the fill-in-the-blanks provided or writing their own)
Conducting the Experiment (30 minutes):
- As the students make the airplanes and test them, have them record data in the provided table
- Consider having them do multiple trials for consistency
Reflection (10 minutes):
- Have students fill out the last section of the worksheet where they reflect on their findings
- Once finished have them share their findings with their neighbors
Extra
Tips for Students:
- Try to keep all the other variables the same except for the one you are testing
- Make sure the data collected is accurate
Tips for Teachers:
- Provide demonstrations of certain steps such as conducting the test and recording data
- This lesson can be adjusted to be very open where students can choose to investigate similar topics such as what makes an airplane fly high
- It can also be simpler and done as a class if needed
Extensions:
- Have students create bar graphs to represent their data visually.
- Make the procedure open-ended and have students write their own
