1. Geometry, Airplanes and Flight
What makes a “good” paper airplane?
Why might a paper airplane not fly well?
Fold one yourself from plain white paper.

2. Rationale and Skills Developed
Satisfaction of creating an object yourself
Physical motions of folding
Read technical diagrams
Multiple intelligences
Differentiation
Low cost!
Connections: geometry, engineering design, literature, physical science

3. Measurement, Modeling and Multiple Representation Standards
Measurement: area, length, angle
Classify shapes
Identify (geometrical) properties
Visualize, represent and transform two dimensional and three dimensional shapes
Use maps and scale drawings to represent real objects
Use appropriate tools to construct and verify geometrical relationships

4. Engineering Design and Physical Science Standards
Design process (iterative)
Optimization, given constraints
Identify needs, invent, innovate
Generate alternative plans
Predict outcomes
Create models, exhibit craftsmanship
Test, modify, retest, …
Study physical forces that effect flight

5. Folding Basics
Use a hard surface.
Take your time.
Be accurate.
Eyeball before you make the actual crease
Press firmly to make crisp folds.
Smooth layers flat.
You learn more each time you start over.

6. Note Symbols and Perform Actions
Valley fold (fold up toward you)
Mountain fold _ .._.._.._.. (fold back away from you)
Existing crease
Fold forward
Fold behind
Fold, then unfold
Fold dot to dot
Unfold
Turn over
Make equal distances
Make equal angles

7. Fold and Think Geometry
Wide Wing (green)
Stacked Over Logan (blue)
Your table’s assigned model (varies)
Try the others if you like.

8. Fold and Think Geometry
Wide Wing (green)
Stacked Over Logan (blue)
Your table’s assigned model (varies)
Try the others if you like.
Shapes
Parallel lines
Perpendicular lines
Types of angles
Measuring distances
Bisecting lengths
Bisecting angles

9. Vocabulary and Concepts: Distinguish, Diagram and Explain Verbally
symmetry flip (reflection)
vertical turn (rotation)
horizontal slide (translation)
diagonal convex (valley fold)
vertex (corner point) concave (mountain fold)
edge square
bisect rectangle
midpoint parallelogram
angle bisector rhombus
trisect kite
congruent equilateral
parallel lines isosceles
perpendicular lines scalene
axis trapezoid
pentagon

10. Which plane will fly “best”?
Why?
How will you know?
What is “best”?

11. Launch Factors
Angles: vertically straight up, some angle up, horizontal, some angle down
Hold underneath - near front, at center, near back
Hold “over” (between fingers)
Speed/force of launch: gentle, snap, …

12. Engineering Design Lab
Test: Go fly, describe, record.
What’s happening? Analyze.
“Trim” (modify) your plane to improve (optimize) its flight.
Fly again, describe, record.

13. Flight Principle #1: The forward thrust must be greater than the drag.
Drag activity with paper
Posterboard relay race
Drag in folded planes?
Thrust in folded planes?

14. Flight Principle #2: The lift from the wings must be greater than the effect of gravity.
Lift activity with paper strips
Bernoulli Principle
Galileo gravity activity with objects

15. Shape of Airplane Wing Bernoulli’s Principle:
Faster moving air (above wing) exerts less pressure than slower moving air (below wing).
This causes lift.
The amount of lift is proportional to
the area of the wing.

16. Unstable Flight What do you call it? What does it look like?
Math or physical explanation
How can you fix it?

17. Unstable Flight Roll Wing dips, barrel roll, corkscrew
Rotation around forward-backward axis
Adjust dihedral angle
Pitch
Nosedive (nose down) or stall (nose rises up)
Rotation around left-right axis
Bend wing back corners up (for dive) or down (for stall)
Yaw
Flat spin
Rotation around up-down axis
Add fuselage and rudders (vertical surfaces)

18. Airplane Resources
Blackburn, K. Guinness Book Record Holder website
Green, S.N., Take off with scientific methodology. Science and Children, Nov/Dec 1988, 38-43, 71
Hurst, C. Children’s Literature Site contains numerous links and article Flight and Children’s Literature. Teaching K-8.
Jackson, P. Championship Paper Planes, Barnes and Noble Books, ISBN
NASA website.
Schneidermeyer, K. Constructing flying disks. Science and Children, May 1999, 28-31
U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission website includes resources