Up, Up, and Away: Airplanes

Activity Objectives

• Students will practice flying airplanes, and will be given the chance to modify a basic design to make a plane that flies the way they would like it to.

Vocabulary/Literature Resource

• Fly, glide, wing, nose, body, tail, lift

Materials Chart

Consumable supplies to gather and/or purchase:   

• Pre-folded paper airplanes, simple design

• Crayons

• Paper clips   
  

Permanent supplies

• Scissors
  

Activity Plan

Students and parents should be encouraged to take a paper airplane and try flying it. After a flight, students can be asked to think of ways to make their plane fly better.
Some ideas:

• Paper clips can be added to the nose for weight.

• Flaps can be cut in the tail. Angle up to increase lift, angle down to give less lift, see what happens when one is up and one is down.

• Encourage children to come up with their own creative ideas, and try them out!