Running Head: PAPER HELICOPTER OPTIMIZATION

Paper Helicopter Optimization

Sara Jacks
Daytona State College

Authors Note: This paper was prepared (use due date) for MAE4326 How Children Learn
Mathematics for Dr. Tashana Howse. As a DSC Falcon, I give my word that this work is my
own and that I have neither given nor received unauthorized help.

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ABSTRACT
In this lesson students will uses their knowledge of lines, and parabolas as well as their
knowledge of the scientific method to conduct an experiment to discover how to maximize the
amount of time it will take a paper helicopter to fall to the ground.
Key words: Social Cognitive Models, Constructivism, etc. . . .

PAPER HELICOPTER OPTIMIZATION 3

Lesson Overview
In this lesson students will create paper airplanes, they will make variations of this helicopter,
use various forms of technology to time how long each airplane takes to hit the ground. The
students will then use excel and geogebra to analyze their data and compare their data to
mathematical functions. This lesson will take about 120 minutes to complete. The students will
need to have understanding of mathematical functions and the scientific process.
Concept Plan
Title of Lesson: Paper Helicopter Optimization
Learning Goals (Florida Standards):
SC.8N.1.2 Design and conduct a study using repeated trials and replication
SC.8.N.1.3 Use phrases such as "results support" or "fail to support" in science,
understanding that science does not offer conclusive 'proof' of a knowledge claim.
SC.8.N.1.4 Explain how hypotheses are valuable if they lead to further
investigations, even if they turn out not to be supported by the data.

MAFS.8.EE.2.5 Graph proportional relationships, interpreting the unit rate as the

slope of the graph. Compare two different proportional relationships represented in
different ways.
MAFS.8.F.1.3 Interpret the equation y = mx + b as defining a linear function, whose
graph is a straight line; give examples of functions that are not linear.
(Sciberus.com, 2014)
Learning Target (objectives): As a result of class today, students will be able to develop a
hypothesis, experiment, gather and interpret data. Students will also be able to recognize linear
and parabolic functions. Students will also be able to define the equation of a line and parabola
based on a graph.
Prerequisites: Students need to understand how to find the equation of both lines and parabolas.
Students also need to have a basic understanding of how to conduct an experiment.
Common Misconceptions: Students will have to be accurate in their construction, and data
collection. Students may forget to be consistent in the distance from the ground in which they
drop their helicopters. Students may struggle to find the maximum value of time the helicopter
stays in the air. Studnets may also struggle to understand why the expiremtn yelids a paraobolic
result instead of a liner result.
Targeted Standard(s) for Science & Mathematical Practices:

PAPER HELICOPTER OPTIMIZATION 4

Science Practices: Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering),
Developing and using models, Planning and carrying out investigations, Analyzing and
interpreting data.
Mathematical Practices: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them, Reason
abstractly and quantitatively, Model with mathematics, Use appropriate tools strategically,
Attend to precision.
Technology Standard(s): Use models and simulations to explore complex possibilities, Identify
trends and forecast possibilities, Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve
problems, plan strategies to guide inquiry, process data and report results, plan and manage a.
Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation , Plan and
manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project, Collect and analyze data to identify
solutions and/or make informed decisions, Understand and use technology systems, Select and
use applications effectively and productively
Planned Tasks:

Tasks

1. Students will participate in

poll/ discussion to
determine the hypothesis,
experiment, constants, and
variables.
2. The students will create
their paper helicopters and
conduct the experiment.

3. Students will record their

data into excel and create a
graph that represents their
data. The students will
find the equation of the
line represented by their
data.
4. Students will participate in
a class discussion about

Teachers Role
(How will the teacher
facilitate and then monitor
student response to the task?)
The teacher will use poll now
and leading questions to guide
the discussion.

The teacher will circulate the

room to ensure the students
are staying on task, and
attending to precision.

The teacher will circulate the

room, and gather the average
times of all the students data,
the teacher will create a class
graph. The teacher will then
ask the students to find the
equation of the class graphs
line.
The teacher will use poll now
and leading questions to guide

Students Role
(How will students be actively
engaged?)
Students will be answering
poll now questions and they
will be engaged in a class
discussion. The students will
be designing their experiment.
The students will be creating
paper helicopters, dropping
the helicopters and recoding
the drops using a slow motion
camera so they can play back
in order to get accurate data.
The students will be recoding
data, creating graphs and
finding the equations that
represent the lines their data
has created.

Students will be answering

poll now questions and they

PAPER HELICOPTER OPTIMIZATION 5

their hypothesis, what their
data tells them about their
hypothesis and how they
many answer any
questions that have
resulted from their
experiment.
5. Students will conduct a
secondary experiment,
records data and create a
secondary graph.

the discussion.

will be engaged in a class

discussion. The students will
be designing their experiment
for further exploration.

The teacher will circulate the

room to ensure the students
are staying on task, and
attending to precision.

6. Students will participate in

a class discussion about
their hypothesis, what their
data tells them about their
hypothesis. Students will
define the function that
represent their graph. They
will input this function to
geogebra and compare it to
the graph they had created
in excel.
7. Students will use their
function to determine how
to optimize their helicopter
and find additional
information their function
provides about the
experiment they created.

The teacher will use poll now

and leading questions to guide
the discussion. The teacher
and the class will work
together to create a class
graph. The teacher could
model this part of the activity
by using the class graph

The students will be creating a

secondary paper helicopter,
dropping the helicopter and
recoding the drops using a
slow motion camera so they
can play back in order to get
accurate data. The students
will utilize the additional data
and create a graph.
Students will be answering
poll now questions and they
will be engaged in a class
discussion. Students will
defining functions and
inputting their function into
the geogebra, and comparing
the new graph to that created
in excel.

The teacher could model this

part of the activity by using
the class graph. The teacher
will circulate the room to
ensure the students are staying
on task, and attending to
precision, and guide the
student in the activity and
discussion by using poll now.

The students will be using

their knowledge of function to
determine how to optimize
their helicopter and find
additional information that
their function provides about
the experiment they had
created. The class will do the
same for the class graph.

Reflective Action Procedures:

Engagement: This activity is student centered meaning that the students will be engaged
because students will be encouraged to get out of their seats, create models, predict
results and use technology in order to help them conduct this experiment.
Exploration: The students will be given the freedom to test their hypothesis by
performing an experiment. Through this experiment students will discover of how the

PAPER HELICOPTER OPTIMIZATION 6

various lengths of the helicopter blades affect the rate at which the helicopter falls. Poll
every where questions:
What are we trying to discover?
What should our hypothesis be?
How could we test our hypothesis?
What are our constants?
What are our variables?
So far is our hypothesis correct?
At this point does our graph/ equation appear to be linear?
What does this linear equation tell us about how to maximize the amount of time the
helicopter is in the air?
Based off of this new information lets create a secondary experiment. What would our
hypothesis be?
If we make a helicopter of infinitely long blades will it ever touch the ground?
How could we test this?
How does this graph differ from our original graph?
What type of function does this graph look like it could be?
What knowledge do we have about parabolas that can help us to write an equation that
corresponds to our new graph?
At what blade length is our helicopter optimized?
Explanation: Students are engaged in all of the tasks above. Students will present their
findings by responding to poll now questions.
Based on our graph what would the result for our control be had we done one?
If we created a helicopter with an optimized blade length how long would it take for it to
hit the ground?
How many feet (inches) per second is the optimized helicopter falling?
How many feet (inches per second is the control helicopter falling?
What else could we infer about this helicopter based on our experiment?
Are there any other experiments that we could conduct to find other ways to optimize our
helicopters?
Elaboration: The students can extend what they have learned to understand the methods
by which an engineer may design an item. Students could then use the slow motion
camera to find other instances where parabolas may exist in real life. (i.e.. A volley ball
being thrown over a net) could students predict where the volley ball may be overtime
using a parabola?
Evaluation: I will assess whether the learning target has been met based on the responses
to the poll now questions. I will also asses students based on their application of the
scientific method.

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Accommodations/Modifications: Accommodations could be having pre-assembled helicopters
for students whom may have limited dexterity. There could be markers placed on the wall for
students to know from which distance to drop their helicopters. The teacher could supply an
excel sheet already set up so that the students simply need to input their data and the graph will
appear.
Assessment: The students will be formally assessed though the implementation of a behavior
check list, which will assess based on student participation, accuracy, time management and
progress.

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Reference
Sciberus.com, P. (2014). Home | CPALMS.org. Cpalms.org. Retrieved 17 November 2014, from
http://www.cpalms.org/Public/