Grade 5: Science is a “Drag”

Fifth grade scientists are learning about aerodynamics with teacher Andy Dodge this week and completing the Drag Challenge to show their understanding. “Drag is the enemy of speed,” says Mr. Dodge. “It slows things down. It’s the opposite of aerodynamic.” Students were tasked with taking a single sheet of paper and turning it into a design that will utilize drag to stay aloft as long as possible. Designs were timed as they floated downward from the second floor of the Middle School building. 
Fifth grade scientists are learning about aerodynamics with teacher Andy Dodge this week and completing the Drag Challenge to show their understanding. “Drag is the enemy of speed,” says Mr. Dodge. “It slows things down. It’s the opposite of aerodynamic.” Students were tasked with taking a single sheet of paper and turning it into a design that will utilize drag to stay aloft as long as possible. Designs were timed as they floated downward from the second floor of the Middle School building. 
 
Before the challenge, students first learned about lift, what makes planes fly, and airfoil, the part of a plane’s wing that creates lift. To create drag, the force that slows a plane down, Will Farver (5), developed a complex design that includes “layers of parachutes and wings to catch air.”
 
Mr. Dodge explains that through this exercise, students will demonstrate their understanding of drag by maximizing it. “When they prove they understand these concepts, we’ll be able to more effectively reduce drag for our next lesson.” Those designs will be tested in Mr. Dodge’s wind tunnel.
 
After timing her design, Caroline Corry (5) made some modifications. “My previous one had a bunch of cuts that I thought would catch air but didn’t,” she explains. “So now I’m making more fan-type features that might work better for catching as much drag as possible.”
 
Julie Ryan admits, “Aerodynamics are more complicated than I thought. I never knew about the designs and technology that push a plane into the air.”
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Graland Country Day School

Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.