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Air and Space

National Science Education Standards

Grade Level: K-2
Subject Area: Science and Technology
Standard: Understands the nature of technological design.
Benchmark: Knows that some objects occur in nature, whereas others have been designed and made by people to solve human problems.

Grade Level: 3-5
Subject Area: Science and Technology
Standard: Understands the interactions of science, technology and society.
Benchmark: Knows that people have always had questions about their world; science is one way of answering questions and explaining the natural world.

What you'll need

paper of various weights
paper clips

What to do

Create a paper helicopter by cutting a paper rectangle halfway down the top and folding the flaps in the opposite directions. Attach a paper clip to the bottom for weight. Drop the helicopter from different heights and observe its motion. Experiment with different wing configurations, types of paper and weights to determine the best design for flight.

So what?

Which designs "flew" better? What does this say about the principles behind flying. Different models should be grouped depending on their similar flight motions. Observing the different groups should help to provide a visual of the best flight designs. Perhaps a follow-up of on-line research on aerodynamics will explain the reasons why.