Kids and Flight - and a lot of paper airplanes

Our co-op had a great time learning about the principles of flight at the Okanagan Science Center.  The kids first learned about the different forces on an airplane in flight, as well as Bernoulli's principle - remember that one?  Bernoulli's principle works on the idea that as a wing passes through the air the  shape makes the air travel more over the top of the wing than beneath it. This creates a higher pressure beneath the wing than above it. The pressure difference causes the wing to push upwards and lift is created. Or something like that!

In small groups the kids worked to follow directions on four different paper airplanes; predicting which ones they thought had the better designs, and which would go the farthest. Then they tried them out, marking the spots of the different planes.



Waiting to throw and test out the planes!








Testing out the different principles that we learned.  When you blow under the paper, the lower pressure "pulls" the paper down.  When you blow over the top of the paper, the lower pressure over the top causes "lift".



Checking out his plane before flight with the basic forces and Bernoulli's effect on the board behind him.



All in all, a great day with the co-op at the Science Center.  Lots of fun, learning, and friends.  Good times.