Implementation of “A paper plane parade” (SOI-LV-317)

Author: Inga Jefrēmova,  primary education teacher

School/Organization: Mērsrags Secondary School

I chose to implement “A paper plane parade” because my class really likes fun activities. I use this activity to build a better relationship between me as a teacher and my class because it’s our first year together. I was saying them that they help me to get certificate and in the same time they learn something new in math, English, science, history. So, in some way we feel equal.

Class lesson where we all learn The activity was implemented in class lesson in our classroom and in the hall to make throwing paper airplanes safer. Students’ age is between 10 to 12 years. This was their first familiarity with arts and science digital heritage.

Implementation process

As written in the learning scenario I started with the question on the blackboard “How do humans fly?”.  All students were trying to guess different flying machines and wrote them on the blackboard. In the original learning scenario it was suggested that a digital mind map tool is used, but my students prefer writing on the blackboard.

Mind map “”How do humans fly?”, I.Jefrēmova Then I was showing a video that was mentioned on the learning scenario about “How do airplanes fly?”.  After that, each student was making a paper airplane. Some students knew how to fold an airplane, but some were just rolling or folding the paper. Then class went to the hall to make first attempts and were observing which plane flies the best. After first attempts they were getting new paper, watching the video “How to build a paper airplane?” and making new airplanes.  After that in the hall they were throwing their planes again and making new conclusions.

Paper airplanes parade, I.Jefrēmova

In the end of the lesson we were talking about our experience and new knowledge. Also I gave them a questionnaire to get feedback. I was making a little change on the scenario, but only enough to fit into the time – 40 minutes. To fit into the time, I didn’t make an individual paper plane parade, but made group paper plane parade. All class throw together the planes.

Feedback, I.Jefrēmova

“The harder I try, the better I get.”

The best thing one of my students told me was that “The harder I try, the better I get.” I think, that this is one of the life aims – to remember that all I can do is trying my best and the result will be the best. And hear it from a ten year old boy for me was the best feedback I can get. Also, my class said that it was fun lesson and they were learning new things about airplanes and how to fold a paper airplane. They liked the lesson because it didn’t feel like in a lesson but rather like a class party. However in the end of the lesson they have new experience and knowledge.

Grateful for the result. Using the Teaching with Europeana resource was seminar homework for the certification and I was quite skeptical about the possible benefits of Teaching with Europeana. However, seeing how my class and I bonded, that we became closer and that the students came to their own conclusions that are useful for life, I conclude that this resource is useful. Of course, using the resource is time-consuming, because all the materials are in a foreign language, you have to adapt them to your needs, but I am happy and grateful for the result

Did you find this story of implementation interesting? Why don’t you read about the related learning scenario? “A paper plane parade (EN-CUR-609)” created by Alina Marilena Buduleanu

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Public Domain Mark 1.0: the featured image used to illustrate this article has been found on Europeana and has been provided by the Sjöhistoriska museet.

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