Week 3 STEM Summer Camp 2021 Recap

This week we focused on the engineering aspect of STEM. That being said, students were introduced to the design process and how changing elements in a design can improve its function. We did these using paper airplanes, and altering aspects of the airplanes to make them fly faster, higher, or longer. After learning the four basic forces on a plane: thrust, drag, weight, and lift, we got to work.

Grades 3-4

In our 3-4 class, students came up with the idea to put the paper airplanes in front of a fan to make them fly farther. They realized that thrust can be increased by giving the airplane a bigger "push" than your arm can give. They also came up with the idea that a bigger wingspan and smaller planes will fly longer.

Grades 5-6

In this class, the students learned that sometimes too much force is as bad as too little force. An overwhelming amount of force can cause an airplane to crash and not fly straight. This was a representation of rough turbulence on a lower scale. These students also learned that adding flaps on the wings of a plane help keep it balanced and not topple over to one side.

Grades 7-8

We continued using paper airplanes to demonstrate flight, using problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Creating a variety of designs in our planes helped us figure out which aspects of the plane are crucial in increasing thrust. We concluded this class with a fun online game covering everything we did in the past two weeks.