Paper airplanes are the perfect STEM project for classroom science lessons! It’s an easy and fun lesson idea for large groups of children, and teaches key scientific concepts like aerodynamics, velocity, thrust, speed, and other scientific forces. Teach your students about the different components of flight while making it a fun and memorable experience! As a summer camp counselor, I used this project nearly every week. The children were engaged and interested for long periods of time, designing their own planes, coloring them, trying out different styles, and testing flight!

Listed below are three simple paper airplane designs to include in your STEM aerodynamics lesson.

How to Make Paper Airplanes

This activity will teach your students about aerodynamics, the forces of flight, and the fun of paper airplanes! By making three different models of paper airplanes and testing each of them, students will begin to understand what makes a plane fly and how they can design their very own paper airplane!

You’ll need to gather some materials for paper airplane making and testing. You’ll need:

• Paper
  
  • I’ve found that while children like to use colored construction paper, it is too heavy to fly and a bit more difficult to fold, so I would recommend regular printer paper or lightweight colored paper.
• Paper clips (optional)
• Tape (also optional)
• Colored pencils or markers
  
  • It’s always fun to have the students decorate their planes! You can even have them give their planes a name and write it along the side. Each plane will look very different!
• For testing:
  
  • Tape measure
  • Stopwatch
  • Large outdoor space (preferred)

Once you have all the listed materials, you’ll need an Airplane Comparison Chart, like the one shown below. These are simple to make and reproduce. You simply need three columns and nine rows. Each row will be for an individual trial of one of the airplanes. Each column will measure the time, distance, and average measurements of each plane.

	Time Aloft (seconds)	Distance (feet)	Average
Classic Dart, Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Speed Glider, Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Spy Glider, Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3

Follow the directions to create three different paper airplane designs.
 
Tips for paper airplane folding: Line up your fold before you crease. Make good creases and tight folds to improve the aerodynamics of the plane. Keep your folding as symmetrical as possible for better flight results. Add tape if you will be throwing the plane multiple times so it doesn’t fall apart after each throw. Staples also work, but will add weight to the plane.

1. Fold your paper hot dog style.
2. Lay the paper out in front of you, portrait style.
3. Fold the top-right corner to the center crease, lining up the edges and creating a triangle.
4. Do the same thing with the left corner.
5. Fold the right side again, along the crease.
6. Do the same thing with the left side.
7. Fold the plane inwards, in half, so the previous folds are on the inside.
8. Fold back one side so the edges align.
9. Flip and repeat with the other wing.

Tip for throwing: For this plane, hold it slightly above your head when throwing to achieve a better liftoff. Use a nice level throw; don’t aim too high or too low.

1. Fold your paper hot dog style.
2. Lay the paper out in front of you, portrait style.
3. Fold the top-right corner to the center crease, lining up the edges and creating a triangle.
4. Do the same thing with the left corner.
5. Fold the point of the plane down, creating a fold along the bottom of the corner triangles. The tip should be about ⅓ of the page from the bottom of the paper.
6. Fold the top-right corner to the center, about one inch above the tip.
7. Repeat with the left corner. This should create a small triangle at the point.
8. Fold the small triangle up.
9. Flip your plane over so that your folds are on the table.
10. Fold your plane in half, left side onto its right, so the edges line up.
11. Fold the top wing down so your edges align.
12. Flip and repeat with other wing.

1. Fold your paper hamburger style.
2. Lay the paper out in front of you, landscape style.
3. Fold the top-right corner point to the center, about an inch and a half from the top of the paper.
4. Repeat with the top-left corner point, forming a wide upside-down triangle at the top of the paper.
5. Fold the top of the paper down, to the tip of the upside-down triangle.
6. Fold the top over itself again, crease well. Repeat this fold twice more.
7. Fold in half, inwards. Unfold.
8. Fold in half, outwards.
9. Make a crease about one inch from the left edge and fold the right side/top wing to the left on this crease. Flip and repeat.
10. Fold 1 inch on edge of wings up.

Hint: For this plane, throw it angled more steeply upwards, instead of straight, to see it glide. This plane needs a hard throw.

Tips for airplane throwing: Most planes require a loose and light grip, and a quick throw. Tilt your plane up slightly before you throw it, and release early. This will help your plane catch the wind and propel itself upwards, using lift force.

1. Fly the planes to test time aloft and distance. Record the information on the Airplane Comparison Chart. (to match chart)
2. After testing, have students try to design their own paper airplane, using components from the planes they’ve already made. Have them name their new plane.
3. Test the students’ planes. Record the test results on the Challenge Chart.

STEM Challenge: Airplane Grade 3

Now that your students are locked in on creating paper airplanes, start to dive into the science behind it! Evan-Moor’s STEM Lessons and Challenges grade 3 features a unit on airplanes and the physical science of air resistance. The unit includes vocabulary like lift, thrust, gravity, drag, and aerodynamics. This STEM unit challenges students to design and create a paper airplane that goes a long distance with accuracy and is available on Teachers Pay Teachers here.
 
Using a premade paper airplane or diagram to demonstrate, discuss the forces of flight with your students. Highlight key vocabulary such as: lift, weight, thrust, and drag.

• Lift is the force that is created by the wings of the airplane, which push air down so the aircraft rises up.
• Weight, along with gravity, pulls down on the plane, opposite the lift.
• Thrust is the force that propels the plane forward, created by the engines of the aircraft.
• Drag is the air resistance that acts opposite the thrust.

Have fun flying your very own paper airplanes! This easy and fun STEM lesson can be adapted for all ages, and paper airplanes never get old. Challenge your students to design their own plane, tweak it for optimal performance, and get creative with their designs and decorations.

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Christine Wooler has experience working with children as a youth soccer coach and summer camp counselor. She is currently studying English Literature and journalism in college. She enjoys exploring educational topics that help students have fun while learning.