Flying Saucers: Circles

Students will apply what they have learned about circles and finding averages with this lesson.
This lesson should be broken up into 3 class periods of an hour for each class.

A lesson plan for grade 5 Mathematics

By Amy Romagnuolo

Learn more

Related pages

• In math, "elegant" means "cool"!: An elegant solution to a math problem is one that requires less time and work. Encouraging students to find such solutions will help them build number sense or numeracy.
• Math Fun: We have compiled some of our favorite mathematics instructional resources to help students develop a sense of numbers and how they are used by us everyday. Students will have fun practicing their skills and trying new problem-solving ideas.
• Beginning lesson on Coordinate Grids-First Quadrant: Students will investigate the first quadrant of the Cartesian coordinate system. They will use online activities developed by Shodor.org to identify the coordinates of points, or plot specific points. Then students will progress to an activity where they direct a robot through a mine field laid out on the coordinate plane. Permission has been granted for the use of the materials as part of the workshop - "Interactivate Your Bored Math Students" by Shodor Education Foundation, Inc.

Related topics

• Learn more about mathematics.

Help

Please read our disclaimer for lesson plans.

Legal

Learning outcomes

Students will:

• use a compass to draw eight circles of varying sizes.
• label the diameter and radius of each circle.
• compute the area and circumference of each circle.
• fly their saucers and record their measurements.
• compute the mean, median,mode, and range for each trial.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

3 Hours

Materials/resources

Each Student Needs:

• 1 white poster board
• glue
• compass
• meter stick or yard stick
• 6 large paper clips
• scissors
• 1 brad
• masking tape
• paper
• pencil or notebook

Technology resources

None

Pre-activities

Students must have already discussed the parts of a circle:

• radius
• diameter
• chord

Students must have already had a lesson on area, circumference, using compasses, and finding averages.

Activities

Making the Flying Saucer

1. Set your compass to a 4 inch radius.
2. Use the compass to draw a circle on the poster board. Make sure that you draw your circle towards the edge of the poster board so there will be room for all the 8 circles.
3. Reduce the compass setting to a 3.5 inch radius.
4. Keep reducing the compass setting by .5 inch increments and draw the circles until you have 8 circles.
5. Label the diameter and the radius on each circle.
6. Find the area and the circumference of each circle and write them on the circle.
7. Show your circles to the teacher to be checked for accuracy.
8. After your circles have been approved, cut out each circle. Make sure that you put your name on each circle so that they do not get lost.
9. Poke a hole through the exact center of each circle with the compass point.
10. Glue the circles one on top of each other with the holes all lined up. The edges should be glued down so that they do not lift up.
11. After gluing all eight pieces together, push a brad through the center hole and flatten the prongs on the back.
12. Evenly distribute the six paper clips on your saucer.
13. Tape the paper clips securely on the back and the front of your flying saucers. Tape the prongs of the brad as well.

Flying the Saucer

1. Have the students (on a paper or in a notebook) make a hypothesis of how well they think their saucer will fly.
2. The students need to know that when they fly their saucers, they need to do the same thing every time. For example: Flying the saucer into the wind every time, changing the angle of their throw, etc. *This is important so that they get an accurate measurement.
3. Take the class outside where there is plenty of room. Students will need to take their saucers, paper or notebook, pencil, and meter or yard stick with them.
4. As the teacher, you may want to bring out extra masking tape and extra paper clips.
5. Have the students fly their saucer (like a frisbee) six times. Safety: The students must not throw their saucers toward anyone.They need to measure and record each of their throws. Have them label this as Trial 1.They need to record how their saucer flew.
6. When they are done, have the students change one variable. For example: Take off paper clips, add clips, take out the brad, change the shape of the saucer, etc. Once they have chosen the variable to change, they need to write this down on their paper or notebook and write what they think about how well their saucer will fly. They should label this as Trial 2.
7. Fly and record the distances six more times.
8. When the class is completed, they can find the average, mean, median, and mode for each trial. Have them label this on their paper to be turned in.

Assessment

• Students will label the parts of a circle.
• Students need to compute the area and circumference for each circle.
• Students will compute mean, median, mode, and range for each trial.

Supplemental information

Teacher Resource:
Hands-On Math For Middle Grades
Grades 5-8
By Robert Smith
Creative Teaching Press

Related websites

N/A

Comments

This lesson does take a while to complete, but the students love this. They are involved and really apply what they have learned in class.

I have used this lesson with 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. You just need to modify it to fit your needs.

You can make worksheets and questions for this lesson. I have done this three years in a row and have changed it so many times. There are no limits to what you can do.
Some things that I have done that work:

• make graphs
• make a spreadsheet from results
• use scientific method
• ask journal questions
• find the class averages

This is a very flexible lesson.