Young scientists explored the principles of flight while also getting a taste of the scientific method in Kim Rackley’s class at John G. Dinkelmeyer Elementary School. During the STEM activity, fourth graders created and tested paper helicopters known as whirly birds.  

The goal was to get their propellers to spin more and come down as slowly as possible. Students changed the size, shape and material, but only altered one variable at a time so they could see the effect of each change. After testing each whirly bird, students would then drop two different ones side by side to see the differences in how they descended.  

Ms. Rackley explained that students are learning about the scientific method, so they have been conducting different experiments to better understand the process used by real scientists. The whirly birds project was a fun way to follow the steps of the scientific method while also learning about concepts such as air resistance, gravity and lift.

Click here to view the A Spinning Science Lesson at JGD slideshow.

Date Added: 10/8/2025