Activity 2.1.3 Paper Airplanes

Purpose

To practise charting information and making presentations

Materials

8½″ × 11″ white paper, large flipchart paper, coloured markers

Time

1 hr

Method

1. Divide participants into small groups of three or four.
2. Give each participant one sheet of 8½″ × 11″ paper and ask them to construct a paper airplane.
3. When all participants in each group have finished making their airplanes, ask them to fly the planes one at a time. The planes will be rated on their distance, speed, grace, design, etc. Have participants develop and list criteria for judging the planes.
4. Ask participants to develop a way to show how they decided which plane was the best using the flipchart paper. As a group, they must also choose or vote on the best airplane. Note: participants should decide how to rate each plane, i.e. scoring system, checklist, etc.–not the facilitator.
5. One person from the group will act as a spokesperson to give a summary of their chart and talk about how the decision was formed to decide who the clear winner was within their group.
6. When all groups have completed the assignment, the whole class will vote on the best charted information and the delivery of the information. Was the chart clear and easy to follow? Was all the information there? Did the spokesperson present the facts in a logical and knowledgeable fashion?
7. Participants can write or talk about what they learned from others who presented their material, and acknowledge what they would do differently the next time they need to make a presentation.
8. Ask participants how they felt to be competing within their group. Discuss types of work that would require competition among employees, e.g., a salesperson in various environments.
9. As a follow-up, individuals can write directions for making the best paper airplane, or write about the competitive feelings they encountered in this exercise.