Science Experiments / Week 1
Week 1 of 6
Think Like a Scientist and Engineer
Big question
How do scientists and engineers figure out what is true and make their ideas better?
- Paper Helicopter Drop Test
- 45-60 minutes
This week follows the science loop
AskPredictTestObserveExplainImprove
The big idea
- Scientists ask questions, make predictions, test their ideas, observe the results, and use evidence to explain what they find.
- Engineers solve problems by creating something, testing it, and improving the design.
- A fair test changes only one thing at a time so you know what made the difference.
A scientist is anyone who asks a careful question about the world and then finds a way to test the answer instead of just guessing. An engineer takes what scientists learn and uses it to build and improve things that solve problems. Both of them use the same trick: they change one thing, test it, watch what happens, and try again. This week you will drop a paper helicopter - a folded paper twirler that spins as it falls - and figure out how to make it fall as slowly as you can. To do that, you cannot just guess. You have to run a fair test: keep everything the same except the one thing you want to study, so you know exactly what changed the result.
Words to know
- Prediction
- A smart guess about what will happen, made before you test it.
- Observation
- Something you notice by watching closely, using your senses.
- Variable
- The one thing you change in a test, like how long the blades are.
- Fair test
- A test where you change only one thing and keep everything else the same.
- Evidence
- What you observe and record that helps prove your explanation is true.
- Redesign
- Changing your design after a test to make it work better.
Materials
- 2 sheets of paper
- Scissors
- A ruler
- A few paper clips
- A timer or phone stopwatch
- A safe spot to drop from, like standing next to a chair (with an adult)
Safety
- Have an adult help with any drop from up high - do not climb on wobbly furniture.
- Keep the drop area clear so no one walks underneath.
- Carry scissors with the point down and cut on a table.
Experiment: Paper Helicopter Drop Test
Predict first
Before you touch any materials, write down what you think will happen in this experiment - and why. Making a prediction first is what turns building into science. You will compare your prediction to what you actually observe.
Steps
- 1
Ask: Which paper helicopter will fall the slowest? That is the question you are testing.
- 2
Cut a strip of paper about 3 cm wide and 20 cm long. Cut a slit halfway down and fold the two top flaps out in opposite directions to make the blades. Slide one paper clip onto the bottom.
- 3
Predict: Do you think longer blades or shorter blades will make it fall slower? Write down your prediction before you test.
- 4
Test fairly: Drop the helicopter from the same height every time and change only ONE thing - the blade length. Do not push it; just let go.
- 5
Observe: Time how many seconds it takes to reach the floor and watch how it spins. Do this a few times to be sure.
- 6
Record your results next to your prediction.
- 7
Improve: Make a second helicopter with a different blade length and test it the same way. Which one falls slower now?
Why it happens
As the helicopter falls, gravity pulls it down, but the air pushes up against the angled blades and makes them spin. A spinning helicopter pushes against a lot of air, and that air resistance slows it down - so it drifts instead of dropping. Longer blades catch more air and spin more, so they usually fall more slowly. Adding weight makes gravity's pull win a little more, so it falls faster.
How engineers use this
Engineers who design real helicopters, parachutes, and even the spinning 'helicopter' seeds that fall from maple trees all use the same idea: shape and air resistance can control how fast something falls. And just like you, engineers change one thing at a time and test again - that is called redesign.
What did you notice?
Look back at your prediction and your results, then talk these through together.
- Was your prediction right? How do you know?
- What one thing did you change, and what did you keep the same?
- Why would it be unfair to change the blade length AND the height at the same time?
- What made the helicopter fall more slowly?
Reflect
Draw your best paper helicopter and write one sentence about what made it fall the slowest.
Mini challenge
Using only one sheet of paper, design the helicopter that stays in the air the longest. Time it to prove it.
Want to go further?
Add a second and third paper clip, one at a time, and test how extra weight changes the fall. Keep everything else the same.
Before you finish
- I asked a question and wrote a prediction before testing.
- I ran a fair test by changing only one thing.
- I recorded how long my helicopter took to fall.
- I explained why my helicopter fell slowly or quickly.
- I redesigned it and tested again.
Finished the experiment and your reflection? Mark this week complete to track your progress through the 6-week course.
Lab journal
Write your own science notes as you go - they follow the same loop you used this week. Notes are saved on this device only; nothing is sent anywhere. You can also print this lesson and write by hand.
What did you want to find out?
What did you think would happen, and why?
What one thing did you change to keep it a fair test?
What did you see, hear, or measure?
Use what you noticed as your evidence.
What would you change to make it work better?
Draw what happened
Sketch your experiment or your improved design, and circle the part you changed.