Paper aeroplane design

A project to make and find out how far a paper plane can fly

In this activity learners will make a paper plane to help them understand aerodynamics in action. They will also test it to see how far it will fly and the time it stays in the air.

This activity could be used as a main lesson activity to teach learners about modelling and prototyping, or part of a wider scheme of learning covering manufacturing processes and techniques. It could also be used as part of an introduction to aerodynamics.

Resources required:

A4 printed paper aeroplane templates
Stopwatches (to measure flight time during testing)
Download the free activity sheet below!

Download our activity sheet and other related resources for free!

All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.

The activity sheet includes teachers’ notes, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

You can download our step-by-step instructions below as either a classroom lesson plan or PowerPoint presentation.

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