Ms. Szymaszek’s Classroom Investigations:
Airplane Explorations
October , 2012
Upon
placing Legos on the table, the children began to use Legos to build different
airplanes, rocket ships, and helicopters.
For weeks, the children used Legos to build different airplanes. To further their investigations, I provided
the children with a diagram drawing of an airplane, showing all of the parts
required for flight.
For another few
weeks, the children continued to build airplanes with more accuracy, and began
to use the appropriate vocabulary associated with their structures. “My airplane has two wings, and the jets are
right here underneath.” “My airplane
needs to have a window to see through.” “Your
airplane won’t work! It needs to have
two sets of wheels so it can drive on the runway, see?”
To expand
upon this experience, I provided a large printout of an airplane cockpit, and
taped it to a transparent board. I also
provided to floor chairs for the children to sit on. The children have brought over multiple
chairs so that two children can be the “pilot and copilot” and the other people
can “sit here, ride in the airplane, and read some books.” After hearing the story The Noisy Airplane Ride, the children have used the book as a point
of reference for airplane travel. “See
here? In the book it says you have to
pass out a snack and drink.” “It says
the captain has to talk to the people in the back. I’m the captain and I say buckle your
seatbelts!” The children have enjoyed
taking turns piloting the airplane and riding as a passenger. We have also talked about who rides on an
airplane, and the jobs of the people on the airplane. “The captain is like a pilot. He drives the airplane.” “There are other people on the airplane. They have to sit and buckle their seatbelts
and eat their snack.”
To
further this exploration, the children will get to see a presentation on
airplanes, and view a video taken from the cockpit of an airplane taking off
and landing, as well as a video from the cockpit of the Blue Angels stunt
airplanes. We will continue to explore
with being pilots, and perhaps begin building larger airplanes with big wooden
blocks. If you or your family knows a
pilot, has pictures of airplanes, or have books about airplanes, we would love
to have you share them with our class!
