Air Activities stage 1 and 2
This week we have an activity that fulfils most of the requirements for Air Activities stage one and some of the requirements for stage two. The sections in red below are not covered by this activity, but there is a chance at the end of the meeting for you to chat to the Cubs about how they might be able to complete some of the additional sections at home.
Air Activities badge – stage 1
- Make an aircraft out of paper and see how well it flies. You could use a paper dart or a helicopter and drop it from a height.
- Find out about one kind of aircraft and tell others in your section about it. It could be a commercial aircraft like Concorde or Airbus or a military aircraft like a Spitfire, Lynx or Chinook.
- Spell your name using the phonetic alphabet.
- Talk to somebody who has flown in an aircraft, helicopter or hot air balloon. What was it like? If you have already flown in an aircraft, tell others in your section about it.
- Tell others in your section about an aircraft (real or imagined) that you would like to fly in and why. You can do this through drawings or models.
Air Activities badge – stage 2
- Make and fly a model aeroplane, three different types of paper glider, a hot air balloon or a kite.
- Choose 3 of these:
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- Name and identify the main parts of an aeroplane
- Identify six airlines from their markings.
- Name and identify different types of aircraft (such as powered aeroplanes, airships, gliders or unmanned aircraft)
- Collect and identify six pictures of different aircraft. Share them with others in your section.
- Explain how different weather conditions can affect air activities.
- Fly in an aircraft and tell the rest of your section about it.
- Meet someone who flies regularly and talk to them about their experiences.
- Send a simple message using the phonetic alphabet.
- Visit an airfield, air display or air museum (there are lots of online opportunities for this at the moment!)
- Know the dangers involved in visiting an airfield.
Preparation:
- Familiarise yourself with the powerpoint presentation (provided)
- Let Cubs know that they will need A4 paper, scissors, a paperclip and pencils for the meeting.
- Make sure you know how to make a paper whirlybird, using the attached PDF and these instructions:
Make your whirly bird
Take the paper, and draw a rectangle no bigger than 20 cm long and 10 cm wide. Cut this rectangle out.
Put the paper in front of you so it’s portrait (the shorter sides at the top and bottom, and the longer sides on the left and right). Fold the paper in half horizontally – fold the top down so it meets the bottom.
Unfold the paper. The fold should split the paper into two rectangles.
Draw a vertical line down the top rectangle, from the top to the bottom. Cut along this line, so the top rectangle is split into two rectangle flaps. These are the rotors.
Turn the bottom rectangle into a T shape, by drawing two rectangles, one at the bottom left, and one at the bottom right.
The top of the T should touch the rectangle flaps you created in step four, and the bottom should be about the same width as each rectangle you draw in step five.
Cut along the top of the two rectangles you drew in step five, so the bottom rectangle becomes a T shape with two flaps.
Fold one of these flaps in front of the bottom of the T, and the other behind the bottom of the T. Keep them there with a paperclip – the paperclip will also add weight and help the whirly bird to fly.
Fold one of the rotors (one of rectangle flaps you created in step four) towards you, and fold the other away from you.
They should be parallel to the floor if you hold the T shape upright – just like the blades of a helicopter.
Colour your whirly bird – this will make it look even better when it flies. It’s okay if you squash it a bit as you colour, you can fold it back into shape again.
How to participate (using a video meeting tool like Zoom):
Share your screen to show the powerpoint presentation and explain the challenges. Pause to demonstrate ‘live’ how to make the whirlybird and various planes etc, so that the Cubs can join in.
Age Range: Cubs
Time to Complete: 45 – 60 minutes.
You may find that you have enough material here for two meetings!
Badge Requirements: Air activities badge stage one and two