2. Lesson overview

The lesson begins with My Tyler asking the children, ‘Why do aeroplanes fly?’ He encourages their recollections from a previous lesson. He then connects the discussion to ideas about forces by asking them, ‘What is a force?’ After further questioning and encouraging thinking about different kinds of forces, he then focusses the discussion on the ways that aeroplanes might be affected by a range of forces.

The children then work in small groups to design and construct unique paper aeroplane models. They are challenged by Mr Tyler to test their paper models and see if they can beat the world record for one being air borne for more than approximately 29 seconds.

In turn, each group then tests and times several flights of their model aeroplanes in a open space of the school. Each group also calculates the average time that their unique design is air borne.

In the plenary Mr Tyler brings the children together to discuss which paper planes flew the longest and how they might alter and improve their designs to fly further and remain in the air even longer.