Design Brief – Create a leaf glider

Introduction Design Brief

Can you help create a leaf
glider that will fly the
furthest?
Children are to use real
leaves that they have found
or use the real leaves to
trace to then create leaf
gliders.
Children are to put their engineering caps on to become
engineers. This activity allows children to get a hands-on feel for
concepts like aerodynamics and drag, hone fine motor skills
with cutting and folding, and utilize measurement skills by
tracking the distance their gliders travel.
Use the leaves to create a gilder with the assistance of coins
and paperclips.

Project specifications Evaluation

Finding out the average distance each child’s glider
 One real leaf per student
travels after throwing it 10 times.
 One paper clip/coin per student
 As many folds as they like can be
used
 (Can colour in if they wish)
Recording their times on a table.

Presentation Time

Children are to come up to the front of the class  5-10 mins to find a leaf to use and/or trace a
with their completed glider either tested or not real leaf to create glider.
tested and are to throw it standing behind the line
10 times to figure out their average flight distance.  10 mins to create the glider then test it.

Links to the Resources/support materials

Science/Technologies/
 Paper & real leaves to trace (optional)
Maths Curriculum  Tape
 Paperclips
Everyday materials can be  Coins
physically changed in a variety
of ways (ACSSU018)

Respond to and pose questions,

and make predictions about
familiar objects and events
(ACSIS024)