HCMS “glides” through science

Students in Billie Prince’s 8th grade science class at Hickman County Elementary School recently experienced hands-on learning when they engaged in a lesson called Walking Gliders.

After discussing the steps of the scientific method as well as various factors that affect flight, such as gravity, lift, and drag, students were paired up and asked to create and build two designs for paper gliders. From their designs, students hypothesized which design would fly best with the least resistance. To test their designs, students moved to the halls and the gymnasium.

With stopwatches in hand, pair of students took turns flying the gliders and recording timed trial data. By using a large piece of cardboard to create a wave of air, students gave the gliders the force needed to initiate and maintain flight. Through this scientific investigation, students learned to adjust their designs and to analyze the other factors of physics necessary to maximize flight time.