Lesson Idea | How Does the Design of a Paper Airplane Affect How Far and How Long It Can Fly?

Description

This exciting STEM project challenges students to investigate how different paper airplane designs affect flight distance and flight time. Through hands-on experimentation, students explore key concepts in aeronautics, physics, engineering, and math while designing, building, and testing their own paper airplanes. They learn how factors such as wing shape, size, and folding techniques influence performance. The project encourages critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and data analysis as students compare results and improve their designs. Step-by-step guidance supports brainstorming, planning, testing, recording data, and presenting findings. Designed for grades 3–5, this project aligns with NGSS and Common Core standards and includes assessment rubrics to help teachers evaluate student understanding and project outcomes.