Wings & Things

Will it fall, float, or fly? Explore the four forces of flight (thrust, lift, drag, and weight) and compare birds and planes to discover what makes a successful flying contraption.

Student Activity:

Students will make connections between the way something is built and how it works, otherwise known as structure and function. The focus for this investigation will be the wings of paper airplanes and birds. Students will make and fly different kinds of paper airplanes to observe how their wing shape impacts how they fly. They will also observe videos of birds in flight to look for similarities and differences between bird flight patterns and the paper airplanes they built.

NGSS Connections:

Science and Engineering Practices (SEP): Constructing Explanation and Designing Solutions

Disciplinary Core Idea (DCI): K-PS2 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

Cross Cutting Concept (CCC): Structure and Function

Materials per student:

• Paper