What do paper planes have to do with Maths?

This week, Year 3 are making and throwing paper planes - all for a mathematical purpose.  There is a lot of Maths that we can do with our paper planes.  Here are a few things we will be exploring:

Measurement
We are learning to accurately measure distances in centimetres and metres (and perhaps even millimetres!) using trundle wheels and tape measures.

Data
Our measurements will give us a great set of data to analyse, ask questions about and make comparisons with.

Number operations
Can we find the difference between two distances?  What would be the total distance flown by all the planes in our group?  What if the plane flew three times as far?  What if the plane flew a quarter of the distance?

Fractions and Decimals
If we only record the distance in metres, then we need to use decimals to show the distance accurately.

Here are some photos of some of the work that we've done this week: