Greenspire
Takes Flight!
January 28 - April 5
Driving Question
How can you design a glider to go the distance?
Project Overview
Students explore concepts that make flight possible as they design and test prototypes of paper airplanes to balsa wood gliders. This project will culminate with a field trip to the NMC Aviation, Marine Tech, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) facilities on Aeropark Drive. We will also be hosting our 2nd Women in Aviation Careers Forum on Friday, April 12.
Public Products
Group Final Product
Students will select their best glider design to build a prototype out of balsa wood. Gliders will be tested at the NMC aviation hangar.
Individual Final Product
After several tests, students will build the best paper airplane design for a final test flight at the NMC aviation hangar.
Women in Aviation Careers Forum Website
Project Standards
MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
MS-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.
MS-ETS1-4. Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.
MS-PS2-2 Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.
ASN Technological Literacy Transportation vehicles are made up of subsystems, such as structural propulsion, suspension, guidance, control, and support, that must function together for a system to work effectively.
ASN Technological Literacy Explain how knowledge gained from other content areas affects the development of technological products and systems.
CS 2-DA-08 Collect data using computational tools and transform the data to make it more useful and reliable.
CS 2-DA-09 Refine computational models based on the data they have generated.