Champions Build Lego Airplanes!

Today students were given the challenge of constructing a Lego Airplane that could zoom down a zip-line as fast as possible.

First, students went over some key vocabulary such as "incline", "performance", and "accelerate". Then we did a Visual Thinking Strategy looking and various types of zip lines.

Next, students were given a bag of Legos and a paper clip to engineer a "airplane". Students then tested and modified their creation after trying it on the zip line. Most students were able to construct their Lego airplane plane to make it all away across the zip line (about 11 feet).

 Our final steps in this activity was for students to type a reflection summary using their net-book and taking a picture of their airplane to add to the summary reflection.

Well done Champions!

Champs Build Paper Planes!

Did you Know?

•The all-time distance record for paper airplane flight* was set in February, 2012. The paper craft was designed by John Collins (a.k.a. "The Paper Airplane Guy"), and soared a whopping 226 feet, 10 inches. 

•Paper airplanes embody the scientific method. Every throw is an experiment. It's a hobby that begs the paper pilot to understand ever more in order to excel. Hypothesis, experiment design, trial, and results—it's all built into every plane and every throw. To play with a paper airplane is to dabble in science, whether you know it or not.

With that in mind, the challenge for A8 Champs was to:

        Find a fold design using a web-search, follow the instructions from the website, test flight/ make modifications, and then reflect on what was learned.

                                      Helpful resources for this lesson:

(to get the students "pumped up")

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeJtOzciNA4

(world record design and insight)

http://io9.com/how-to-fold-the-worlds-farthest-flying-paper-airplane-1660676516
(Great website for design and How-To)

http://www.funpaperairplanes.com/

Researching best designs...

following directions and creating...

field of dreams...

final touches and modifications...

35 feet record!

most creative design...

controlled chaos..