Paper Airplane Cargo Race

1. Ask students (intentional repetition from Balloon Race exploration)
   1. How might we design an airplane to transfer materials?
2. Take the students outside and have soccer balls for them
   1. Have them make several predictions (they may share predictions)
      1. What will the ball do if we leave it there?
      2. What will happen if we kick the ball?
      3. What happens if we drop the ball?
      4. What happens if we throw the ball?
   2. After students make their predictions, they should conduct a test by doing the tasks
   3. After each task reflect with students.
      1. What did the ball do when we left it there?
      2. What happened when we kicked the ball along the ground?
      3. What happened when we dropped the ball?
      4. What happened when we threw the ball?
   4. Students will answer the same questions as with the Balloon Race, guiding them to new information.
3. Evaluate
   1. Students’ predictions
   2. Students’ observations
   3. Students’ reflection

1. Use drawings with arrows to describe forces in each scenario with students
   1. Have students practice drawing directions of the forces in various scenarios
   2. Have students identify patterns in unbalanced and balanced scenarios.
   3. Concentrate on forces vertically as well as horizontally
2. Demo several scenarios and have students predict the direction of the force arrows
   1. Pencil sitting on the table
      1. Talk about balanced vertical forces (why the pencil doesn’t fall)
   2. Two students push a box against each other
      1. Talk about vertical balanced forces (the earth’s surface or building floor countering gravity)
   3. Two students pushing a box together
   4. Airplanes’ ability to fly
      1. Wings providing upward lift
      2. Motion forward
3. Evaluate
   1. Students responses and predictions
   2. Identification of force arrow directions.

1. Students create their airplanes
   1. They can make several different designs
2. Students make predictions of the motion
   1. Draw pictures with arrows to show the direction of force
      1. When launched
      2. In-flight
      3. At stall
      4. Falling
      5. Crashed
3. Students conduct trials of their airplanes
   1. Use observation to determine force arrows for the above scenarios
   2. Make conclusion from evidence of gravity and other forces present
      1. Support reasons for why the plane flies temporarily
      2. Support why it falls
4. Let them fly!
   1. They can make modifications to vehicles or balloons
      1. Ask for reasoning
5. Evaluate
   1. Predictions
   2. Observations
   3. Explanations
   4. Design of airplane to counter the effects of gravity

NGSS CONNECTION:
5-PS2-1. Support an argument that the gravitational force exerted by Earth on objects is directed down.

COMMON CORE CONNECTION:
ELA/Literacy

RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

W.3.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about the topic.

W.3.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.

Mathematics
MP.2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively.

MP.5 Use appropriate tools strategically.

RI.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

RI.5.9 Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.

W.5.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

DOK:
Level 2: Concept
Level 3: Strategic Thinking
Level 4: Extended Thinking