Wings and Things

Overview

• Year Level: Preschool / Years 0-1 (ages 5-6, adaptable for younger ORS learners)
• Duration: 30 minutes
• Class Size: 20 students
• Unit: Soaring Through Science: Flight (Lesson 1 of 14)
• Subject: Science
• Lesson Title: Wings and Things
• WALT: We Are Learning To identify different types of wings on planes and flying machines, exploring wing designs through visuals and hands-on activities.
• Values: Aroha (care and empathy), Mana (respect and identity), Mahi Tahi (collaboration and teamwork)

Curriculum Links

Aligned with The New Zealand Curriculum Refresh (Te Marautanga o Aotearoa), specifically:

Science Learning Area

• Nature of Science - Participating and Contributing: Students explore and interact with the natural and physical world and share their observations.
• Understanding the Physical World: Students observe and describe physical phenomena related to flight.
• Living World - Interactions between Living and Non-Living: Students recognize that animals and humans use wings for flight; extend this to human-designed flying machines.

(This unit introduces early scientific concepts through hands-on exploration, connecting to Nature of Science and Understanding the Physical World strands suitable for preschool and early years. The emphasis is on discovery, observation, and categorization.)

Key Competencies

• Thinking: Engaging in hands-on activities to understand wing function.
• Using Language, Symbols, and Texts: Naming and describing different wing types with support.
• Managing Self: Participating in group activities and demonstrating curiosity.
• Relating to Others: Sharing and collaborating respectfully, following school values of Aroha, Mana, and Mahi Tahi.

Learning Objectives (WALT)

1. Identify different types of wings on planes and flying machines.
2. Observe and describe how wings help flying machines stay in the air.
3. Explore wing shapes through visual and tactile experiences.
4. Work together to sort and classify wing types.

Success Criteria

• I can name at least two types of wings seen on planes or flying machines.
• I can show which wings are wide, narrow, straight, or curved.
• I can explain with help how wings help flying things to fly.
• I can work with others to sort wings by their shape or size.

Differentiation and Support

• For diverse learners and ORS-verified students:
  • Use large, clear visuals with high contrast and simple labels.
  • Provide physical wing models of various shapes (e.g., flat, curved, pointed).
  • Include tactile materials for students to touch and manipulate.
  • Keep instructions short and clear; use repeated, simple language.
  • Seating arrangements for accessibility and to support focus.
  • Use peer-buddy system to aid social communication and task engagement.
  • Provide dyslexia-friendly reading options: print visuals with minimal text, clear fonts, and pictorial supports.
  • Break tasks into small, manageable steps with frequent positive reinforcement to sustain motivation.

Resources

• Picture cards and large photo posters of planes and flying machines showing varied wing types (straight wings, swept wings, delta wings, bi-plane wings).
• Simple 3D wing models (paper, plastic, or foam).
• Velcro boards or magnetic sorting boards for wing classification.
• Instructions and labels using dyslexia-friendly fonts.
• Storybook or video snippet showing birds and planes flying emphasizing wing shapes.
• Visual schedule and task sequence cards.

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Lesson Outline

1. Engagement – Introduction (5 minutes)

• Gather students in a circle. Show a colourful poster or video clip of different flying machines (planes, helicopters, birds).
• Ask, “What do these flying things have that helps them fly?” Guide towards the answer “wings.”
• Introduce the lesson WALT: “Today we are learning about wings and how they help flying things stay up in the air.”

2. Exploration – Visual Identification (7 minutes)

• Present a variety of pictures and models of flying machines with different wing types.
• Use hands-on wing models for students to touch and compare.
• Label wing types simply (e.g., wide, narrow, straight, curved).
• Use a dyslexia-friendly poster with images and minimal, large text labels.
• Support discussion with sentence stems, e.g., “This wing is ____. It helps the plane to ____.”

3. Activity – Sorting Wings (12 minutes)

• Divide students into small groups (3-4).
• Give each group a selection of wing cards and models.
• Ask groups to sort wings by how they look or how big they are.
• Teachers circulate and support language, noting observations for formative assessment.
• Emphasise Mahi Tahi by encouraging talk and sharing in groups.
• Use visual cues and prompts for students who need structure.

4. Reflection and Sharing (5 minutes)

• Come together again and invite groups to share what they found.
• Summarise key points: different wings help flying machines in different ways.
• Reinforce vocabulary and concepts.
• Link to next lesson by saying, “Next time, we will find out how these wings help planes soar and fly fast!”

5. Closing Activity – Choice Time (optional if time allows)

• Students explore individual hands-on wing craft: make simple paper wings or use a given wing model to decorate.
• Supports sensory engagement and creativity.

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Assessment for Learning

• Observations: Teacher notes on student participation, ability to identify and sort wings, and use of vocabulary.
• Conversations: Guided questioning to probe understanding and language use.
• Peer and self reflection: Simple thumbs up/thumbs down or smiley face cards to express if they feel confident about what wings do.
• Use formative feedback to plan scaffolded follow-up instruction.

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Additional Considerations

• Link to whānau: Send home a simple visual worksheet showing wing types to talk about with families, supporting learning beyond school.
• Reflect Aroha by encouraging kindness and patience during group work.
• Embed Tikanga Māori by incorporating te reo Māori terms such as parirau (wings) and respecting mana in all interactions.
• Use routine and consistent visual schedules to reduce anxiety and support self-regulation.

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This detailed and differentiated lesson plan honours the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh's emphasis on hands-on, inclusive science teaching that builds foundational scientific understanding and key competencies while respecting the learning needs of ORS students and the school's values of Aroha, Mana, and Mahi Tahi 【5:26,27†Te Mataiaho Maths 0-8 (2).pdf】【17:Te Mataiaho English Single Page.pdf】.