Objective

By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to understand basic principles of flight and how airplanes work.

Materials and Prep

• Construction paper
• Scissors
• Tape
• Markers or crayons
• Optional: Books or videos about airplanes

Activities

1. Start by having a discussion with the student about airplanes. Ask questions like:

   • What do you know about airplanes?
   • Have you ever been on an airplane?
   • What do you think makes airplanes fly?

2. Explain the concept of lift to the student. Lift is the force that helps airplanes stay in the air. Show them how to make a simple paper airplane by following these steps:

   1. Take a piece of construction paper and fold it in half lengthwise.
   2. Fold down the top corners to meet the center fold, creating a triangle shape.
   3. Fold the triangle in half, bringing the bottom edge up to meet the top edge.
   4. Tape the folded edges together to secure the shape.
   5. Draw windows or decorate the paper airplane as desired.
   6. Hold the paper airplane at the front and throw it gently, observing how it flies through the air.

3. Discuss with the student what they observed when throwing the paper airplane. Ask questions like:

   • Did the airplane go up or down?
   • What do you think made it fly?
   • How could you make it fly even better?

4. Encourage the student to experiment with different designs and modifications to their paper airplane to see how it affects its flight. They can try changing the size, shape, or weight distribution of the airplane.

United States of America: Pre-Kindergarten Talking Points

• "Airplanes are a type of transportation that can fly in the sky."
• "They are used to travel long distances quickly."
• "Airplanes have wings that help them stay up in the air. This is called lift."
• "When we throw a paper airplane, we can see how the shape and design affect how it flies."
• "We can experiment and make changes to the paper airplane to see if it flies better."