Zooming past the sky- dont resist the urge to fly!!

The topic was ‘Air resistance’. We already played games and done lots of investigations on push and pull force and frictional force. From the beginning, the children were too excited to learn and explore the theme through lots of investigation. The continuation was air resistance. I asked the children to take 2 same pieces of paper and made one paper to crumple as a paper ball and keep the other as flat. Then I instructed them to drop both the paper ball and flat paper at the same time from the same height. The paper ball (crumpled paper) came down first. They immediately connected with friction and told that the flat paper has more area to get contact with air, so this made the flat paper come down slowly when compared to crumpled paper. And they said that flat paper has more friction in air. I was really surprised. Then I stated them ‘friction in air’ is termed as ‘Air resistance’.

Then we analysed about real life examples such as parachutes, wind in the sails of a sailboat and a flying flag etc.. Later we discussed about streamlined body and how it overcomes friction. Immediately they could connect with rocket, aeroplane, race car and fish in water. Then we all made different types of paper rockets (few don’t know to make rocket but their peers taught them to make it) and had a rocket race at class. The children measured the distance travelled by their own rockets. We were discussing about the fair test, shape and size of the rocket that fly farther and how it could fly farther? What made it fly farther? It was a fabulous experience both for the children and me.