Connect students directly to the concept in a personal way. Capture students' attention by initiating a group problem-solving activity before delivery of instruction. Begin with a situation that is familiar to students and builds on what they already know. Construct a learning experience that allows diverse and personal student responses. Facilitate the work of cooperative teams of students.

Students follow directions for making MODEL AIRPLANES w/diff. capabilities.

Objective: To have students experience a common example of a model by actually building a model paper airplane and paying attention to how its structure affects its flying pattern.

Activity: Teamed with a partner, the students are given a piece of scrap xerox paper, a piece of good colored xerox paper, and a set of directions for making a paper airplane. Without explanation, they are instructed to read the directions to teach themselves to make the airplane and then to make their own, good model. This takes approximately twenty minutes. Of course they may practice to make sure it flies. There are many books available in libraries and book stores which contain a wide variety of paper planes which, because of their structural features, perform different stunts. It's preferable to give each team a different flyer to produce. This adds to the fun and lays the groundwork for the idea that structure determines function. The teacher can then take ten to fifteen minutes to have a contest where each team comes up, describes the plane's structural features, and what trick they hope it will perform. One set of directions follows at the end of the cycle.

Assessment: Quality of student interest, participation and model planes.