Read this aloud:
The Great Hallway Air Race is today. Every pilot claims their plane is the best, but nobody agrees on why. Some say it's the folding. Some say it's a strong arm. Some say it's luck. The judges want proof, not arguments. The job: find out what really makes a paper plane fly farther, and prove it with a fair test.
Jobs for one child: you're the pilot, the grown-up measures. Two children: a Pilot who throws and a Measurer who marks and measures the landing, then swap. Three children: add a Recorder who writes every number down.
In the full lesson PDF
- Bet (5 min)
- Hunt (25 min)
- Reveal (10 min)
- Act (10 min)
- The science, for grown-ups
- Questions they'll ask (and what to say)
- Make it easier, make it harder
- Go further
- Student sheet
Written for parents: no science background needed. US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white, with a kids’ sheet on its own page.