Ellen Woods

Science LESSON DESIGN

Title: Paper Airplanes Grade Level: 2nd

Content Standards:

Content Area: Science

Grade Level Expectations: Second Grade
Standard: 1. Physical Science
Prepared Graduates: (Click on a Prepared Graduate Competency to View Articulated Exp
Observe, explain, and predict natural phenomena governed by Newton's laws of motion, ac
or very fast objects
Concepts and skills students master:
1. Changes in speed or direction of motion are caused by forces such as pushes and pulls

Disciplinary Core Ideas: (Big Idea)(So, what is it you want

them to know and be able to do?)
The direction or speed of an object changes due to forces. These
forces have an impact on the motion of objects.

Essential Question or Focus Question:

1. How does applying a force to the plane affect the way it
moves?
2. How do the characteristics of the paper airplanes affect how
they will move when a force is applied?
3. How does a plane fly?

Prior Knowledge:
Students need to have a preliminary understanding of the forces
that can act on an object, such as pushes and pulls, drag, and
gravity. They also need to be able to plan and carry out an
investigation and collect and analyze data with teacher guidance.
The students will also need to design solutions to make a better
paper airplane based on their data.
Ellen Woods

Facts and Vocabulary: Process and/or Skills:

Thrust Collecting and recording
Drag data
Gravity Making a paper airplane
Weight Measuring distance
Lift

Science and Engineering Cross-Cutting Concepts:

Practices:
Plan and conduct an
investigation in
collaboration with peers
Analyze data from tests
administered
Design solutions with
supported explanations
Cause and effect: simple
tests can be designed to
gather evidence to support
or refute ideas about
causes

Common Core Connections

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.A.1
Measure the length of an object by selecting and using appropriate
tools such as rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, and measuring tapes.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.7
Explain how specific images (e.g., a diagram showing how a
machine works) contribute to and clarify a text.

Assessment and evidence of learning (Formative and

summative assessment, performance expectations)

Students will write down their answers to the brainstorming

questions on how planes fly and what characteristics help an
airplane fly.
Ellen Woods

Students will use the data collected to write an explanation on how

forces act on an object. They will give examples using what they
noticed from flying their paper airplanes.

Lesson Design:

Engage:
I will start by asking the students to raise their hands if theyve
ever been in an airplane. I will ask them to write down in their own
words what makes an airplane fly and what characteristics it has
that allow it to fly. They can also draw a picture if it helps them
explain their thinking. Then they will have a few minutes to discuss
what they wrote and/or drew at their table.

Explore:

I will explain to the students that we will each be making a couple

of our own paper airplanes to help us figure out what makes a
plane fly. The students will be flying their planes and measuring the
distance they flew, then making the necessary changes to get it to
fly further. They will be collecting data from each flight, drawing
pictures, and making notes as they experiment. Once they have
each made at least three airplanes and collected data we can
reconvene as a group to discuss what we learned.

Explain:

The students will share with their table groups what they found
from their data and how they used it to make a better paper
airplane. I will explain that there are four main forces that act on an
airplane as it flies: lift, thrust, drag, and weight. I will hand out a
diagram to illustrate these concepts.

Elaborate/Apply:

I will ask the students what they noticed about their own paper
airplanes and what the characteristics were of the best plane they
made. After they share their ideas I will hand out a short reading on
Ellen Woods

how changes in speed or direction of motion are caused by forces

such as pushes and pulls.

Evaluate/Assess:
The students will use the data collected, the diagram, and what
they learned from the reading to write an explanation on how
forces act on an object. They will give examples using what they
noticed from flying their paper airplanes.

Materials needed:
Paper
Yard sticks
Data collecting sheet
Forces diagram
Reading on forces
Science notebooks

FORCEANDMOTION
PostedonOctober13,2014byKIDSDISCOVER

TheworldandtheUniverseareactionpacked.Peopleandanimalsarealwaysonthemove.The
planetsareconstantlycirclingtheSun.Arethereanyrulestoallthisactivity?Yes!Ourworldand
thewholeUniversearegovernedbythelawsofnature.Scientistswhotrytounderstandandlearn
abouttheselawsarecalledphysicists.Herearesomequestionsthatphysicistsacrosshistoryhave
wonderedabout:Whenyoudropaball,whydoesitfallontheground?Whydoesntitfloatup?If
youspinatop,whydoesntitspinforever?Whydoesiteventuallystop?Maybeyouhave
wonderedaboutthesethings,too.
Toanswerthosequestions,physicistsneededtodiscoverthelawsofmotion.Whatismotion?
Motionismovementinanydirection.Youcanmoveup,down,forwards,backwards,and
sideways.Youcanmoveincircles.Youcanwiggle,wave,twist,turn,roll,flip,sway,bend,pivot,
shake,andspin.

Ofcourse,thingsdontjustmovebythemselves.Anobjectmustbepushedorpulledtogetin
motion.Aforceisapushorapull.Hereisasimpleexample:Acathitsaballwithitspawand
makestheballrollacrossthefloor.Thecatusesforcetomaketheballmove.Whenyoukicka
ballorpullopenadoor,youarealsousingforce.Themoreforceyouuse,thefastertheobjectwill
move.

Thereisanotherinvisibleforcethatyouinteractwitheverysecondofeverydayandyou
probablytakeitforgranted.Thatforceisgravity.Gravityistheinvisibleforcethatholdsustothe
surfaceoftheEarth.EarthsgravitypullsobjectstowardthecenteroftheEarth.Sowhenyoudrop
Ellen Woods

abook,itfallstothegroundinsteadoffloatingaway.Whenyoujumpup,gravitypullsyouback
down.

IsaacNewtonwasafamousscientistwhowasinterestedinallsortsofthings,fromgravityandthe
orbitsofplanetstotherulesabouthowobjectsmove.Oneofhismostimportantdiscoveriesis
calledNewtonsFirstLawofMotion.

Usingexperimentandobservation,Newtonshowedthatobjectshaveatendencytokeepdoing
whattheyaredoing.Objectsthatarestill,staystill.Objectsthataremoving,keepmoving.Astill
objectstaysstillandamovingobjectkeepsmovinginthesamestraightlineunlessaforce
pushesorpullsit.Whethertheyaremovingofnotmoving,objectsresistchangingtheirstateof
motion.

Weightisthepullofgravityonanobject.Youfeelyourweightbecausethegroundispushing
againstthepullofgravity.Sotheweightofanobjectcanchangedependingonwhereitisinthe
Universe.Anobjectthatweighs60poundsonEarthwouldweighonlyabout10poundsonthe
moonbecausetheforceofgravityonthemoonisonlyonesixthasstrongasitisonEarth.
Althoughyourmasswouldstaythesame,youwouldfeelmuchlighteronthemoonoryou
wouldifyoudidnthavetowearthatheavyspacesuit!
Ellen Woods
Ellen Woods
Ellen Woods

FLIGHT 1 FLIGHT 2 FLIGHT 3

DISTANCE

CHARACTERISTI
CS
THINGS
CHANGED
PICTURE