Partnership grows between aviation museum, elementary school

CREEDS — A relationship between the Military Aviation Museum in Pungo and Creeds Elementary School is growing, and one of the first examples is a design challenge that brought fifth grade students to the museum to learn about aviation, then back to school to design paper airplaces and test to change what they do before a final run through.

The work this past month beteeen students and volunteers from the museum led toa day of testing on the second floor of the school. Students built paper planes to go far or fast or slow, tested, adjusted, tested again. And their mentors were close, watching the proceedings and offering tips

“The children have been studying force and motion in science,” said Barbara Messina, gifted resource teacher at Creeds, adding that the partnership is supporting the lesson. “We’re hoping the children will learn the connection between science and the world.”

Austin Winborne, 10, of Pungo, was among the children who went from classroom (the lab) to hallway (the testing grounds) and back.

“I’m testing the plane to see how far it will fly,” he said.

“It’s really fun making our planes, and we learned a lot from the aviation museum,” said Ava Simon, 10, of Pungo.

Her twin, Alissa Simon, faced an interesting challenge with her team.

“It’s trying to go the slowest from point A to point B,” she said. “We put on tin foil and it’s crimped so it creates drag.”

Jim McConathy, a docent at the museum, stood near a start line and watched the young people throw plane after plane.

He tried to help them adjust, offering tips.

“So how’s it working out?” he asked one student who was testing the impact of paper clips. “So you’re changing the variable. You’re using the scientific method.”

Meadow Cortazzo, 10, of Blackwater thought it over.

“I think I may change the kind of paper,” she said.