Make Measuring Distance Fun With a Paper Plane Challenge!

This open-ended mathematics investigation has been designed to deepen students’ understanding of length.

In this investigation, the students imagine that they are entering a paper aeroplane competition. They have designed three different paper planes and can’t decide which one to enter.

The students must test all three of their paper plane designs to see which one flies the furthest. They must accurately measure and record the distance flown by each paper plane, then use the information to decide which design is the best one to enter the competition.

Print and Fold Your Paper Plane Competition Workbook

This resource is designed to be printed and folded into a mini-workbook. Download the PDF or Google Slides file, print the student pages front-to-back (leave off the teacher’s instructions), and staple them into a packet. Give each student one packet, and have them remove the staple and fold the pages in half. They can then order the pages using the page numbers.

This teaching resource includes:

• teacher notes detailing a range of important information about the investigation
• a detailed description of the investigation for students, including step-by-step instructions
• planning and recording workbook
• reflection questions.

If you’re looking for something new and fun to add to the end of your measurement unit as a performance task, this is it! Your students are sure to love designing, crafting, and flying their planes while learning about measuring distance using a variety of tools.

This resource was created by Kendall Britnell, a teacher and Teach Starter contributor.

Make Measuring Distance Fun With More Printable Teaching Tools

Don’t stop there! Make sure you grab these fun printables to use in your classroom measurement lessons before you go!

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