Director of Mary Bailey House

Science Week at Mary Bailey House

Belonging, Being and Becoming. The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia requires early childhood teachers to design a curriculum that integrates science and technology experiences safely regardless of gender, age, culture, or ability. Young children are natural scientists. They readily seek to learn about the world and how things work through self-motivated investigation in play.

To gain insight into their knowledge of paper planes we asked them, what makes a good paper plane? Zendaya, Sophie M, Julian, Fox, Phoebe, Natalia, and Iliana then discussed the question and responded with the following:

Zendaya said, ‘Some wings.’

Sophie M said, ‘Wind.’

Zendaya added, ‘A point.’

Julian said, ‘Sticky tape.’

Fox said, ‘How you hold it.’

Zendaya elaborated, ‘You need to hold it then throw it.’

Sophie M explained, ‘You need it big on the bottom so you can hold it and throw it.’

Zendaya then said, ‘The middle part needs sticky tape.’

Julian affirmed Zendaya’s comment, ‘You need a pointy bit. You can make different types.’

Sophie M declared, ‘You can draw on it.’

Zendaya agreed and said, ‘Yeah some designs.’

With the children’s ideas, Kathryn Graham (preschool teacher) then invited the children to make their own paper plane. Kathryn demonstrated and provided the children with instructions throughout the process. The children then decide to draw on them.

Once the planes were complete the children were then taken into the hallway to test their planes from a starting strip. After a few practice rounds each of the children threw their plane and marked the landing spot with a piece of masking tape. The children were asked to write their name on the tape and fly them again to beat their first attempt. 

When the first group had finished, a second group consisting of Lasya, Benjamin, Roger, and Luca went through the same process and tested their skill and theories with paper planes.

The experience demonstrated that the children had prior knowledge of paper planes. They can follow instructions and are able to fold and fly a plane. It also revealed that they’re starting to identify elements of aerodynamics when discussing wings and points.

Jackie Baxter
Director of Mary Bailey House