Start your school year with a Smart Start activity. This activity builds teamwork while helping your students learn about team roles. Some prep is needed for this series, however step by step directions are included.

1. Smart School Start
2014
Academic Mini-Mixers: Paper Airplane
Teamwork Edition I: Paper Airplanes
Estimated time: 20 minutes each
by Marlena Hebern

2. Academic Goals
Culture Goals
Get to know how kids work together
Start teaching cooperation and teamwork
Light introduction to classroom procedures
Students meet other students
Students learn to communicate and solve problems
Students have fun

3. In self contained classes:
Do this as a school wide activity
In departmentalized classes:
Do this for each period

4. Fast feedback!
Have kids reflect on the process of
solving the problem….
What worked, what didn’t?
OR
Use Socrative.com for them to do
short, open ended answers with iPads,
phones or in a lab!

5. FUN THING!
Change partners and try it again!

6. Paper Airplane
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Goal:Students will work in pairs and
give and follow directions in order to create
a flying airplane.
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Materials:
Paper sheets 2 - per student
Directions on folding a paper airplane for
each student- two different versions for the class set
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http://www.amazingpaperairplanes.com/Simple.html
Paper Airplane directions to choose from:

7. Paper Airplane
Step One: Class counts off 1 - 2 - 1 - 2 etc.

8. Paper Airplane
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Step Two: One’s huddle in a group and
learn how to fold their style of paper airplane.
Two’s also huddle and learn
how to fold a different style of paper airplane.

9. Paper Airplane
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Step Three: One’s partner with two’s.
Without the written folding directions,
explain to the partner how to fold a paper airplane.
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Note: Younger students may need to watch
each other, older students may place a folder
between them so the directions are given without
seeing each other.

10. Paper Airplane
Step Four: Test the airplanes to see if they can fly!

11. Job Matrix
Paper Airplane
Student 1 Student 2
Job: Explains how to fold a
paper airplane
Job: Follows directions and
folds paper airplane

12. !
Students now have an idea of team roles!
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Can you extend this concept
into your daily routine?
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Who gets supplies, or passes out materials?
DAILYROUTINE

13. 1 student asks the teacher questions
1 student keeps every one on task
1 student networks with other groups
1 student takes care of supplies
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How could you use team
roles in your class?
GROUPWORK What if….?