Fifth grade scientists are designing an investigation in their Variables Unit. Some of the most important scientific concepts students learn are the result of their ability to see relationships between objects and events. Relationships always involve interactions, dependencies, and cause and effect. The Variables Unit has four investigations that help students discover relationships through controlled experimentation.

Students are constructing rubber-band-powered airplanes and flying them on a line. They  are experimenting with a number of variables to see how each affects the distance the plane travels.

What forces help things fly?