======Natural Selection with Paper Airplanes====== **Materials: **{{$demo.materials_description}}\\ **Difficulty: **{{$demo.difficulty_description}}\\ **Safety: **{{$demo.safety_description}}\\ \\ **Categories:** {{$demo.categories}} \\ **Alternative titles:** Evolution in Plane Sight ====Summary==== {{$demo.summary}} ====Procedure==== - Give each participant paper and ask them to make their favorite paper airplane design. - Mark a starting line and have everyone fly their planes in the same direction. - Measure the flight distances and calculate the group average. - Select the top three longest-flying designs and have their creators demonstrate their methods. - Everyone builds a new plane based on one of these top designs, adding small modifications. - Repeat the flight test, measure distances, and calculate the new group average. - Continue for several rounds, each time selecting the top flyers and modifying their designs. - Observe how the group’s average flight distance changes over time. ====Links==== 📄 Evolution in Plane Sight - Julie Yu: [[http://www.exo.net/~jyu/activities/evolution%20in%20plane%20sight.pdf]]\\ 📄 Evolution in Plane Sight - The Exploratorium: [[https://www.howtosmile.org/resource/evolution-plane-sight]]\\ 🎞️ Paper Airplane Takes Flight at Soccer Stadium in Germany - ViralHog (doesn't show the activity, but is worth a watch): [[https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pLllc6pBv70]]\\ ====Variations==== * Use additional materials (e.g., straws, index cards, tape, scissors, paper clips) to expand the range of possible plane modifications. * Replace airplanes with “Hoopsters” (straw and paper ring flyers) for a different model of evolution. * Change the selective pressure by testing for accuracy (closest to a target) instead of distance. ====Safety Precautions==== * Ensure enough space for safe throwing—avoid aiming planes at people. * Keep scissors and small objects (paper clips) safely handled and accounted for. ====Questions to Consider==== * How did the group’s average flight distance change with each round? * What role did “mutations” (small design changes) play in improving flight? * How is this similar to natural selection in biology? * How does this model differ from real evolution in living organisms? * What might happen if a different selective pressure (accuracy, stability, or aesthetics) was applied instead of distance?