ELA Total Failure or Winner: Airplane Lesson
Today, I decided to implement a lesson that could have been the best lesson in the world or a total disaster. The lesson included students making paper airplanes in order to prompt mini discussions. I know what you’re thinking... whaaaaaaaaat!?!? But hear me out...
Students wrote down a discussion question that had to start with “how”, “why” or “what if”. They wrote this question down and attempted to answer it in at least three sentences. Students then created paper airplanes out of this question. I had them stand on opposite ends of the classroom and throw the airplanes as far as they could. Every student had to grab an airplane that was not their own and read it silently.
Once each student grabbed an airplane, they had to sit back down in a desk and try to comment on their peer’s response. This was repeated three times. After the third airplane, students shared their favorite question and peer response to the class. They then had to comment on this question and tell the class whether or not they agreed with their classmates response and why.