Welcome campers back to The Science of Superpowers Camp! Before getting started, holster your lasso of truth, park your invisible jet and see what the group knows about Wonder Woman. What superpowers does she have? Who is her alter ego? Add to the conversation by either reading directly from the Background Information or by ad-libbing in your own words. Then, challenge campers to think of any superheroes or villains who use aircraft to get around.
Wonder Woman’s Invisible Jet is a key tool in her ability to be a superhero, allowing her to keep up with Superman and anyone else who can fly on their own. Now, while the airplanes we see everyday probably aren’t on their way to stop a supervillain, they still use the same tools the Invisible Jet
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If so, how do they know?
Even though air is invisible, you can still feel it. Use your hands as fans and feel the air move across your face. Air is all around us on Earth, which is why things can fly including airplanes.
Now, show campers the paper airplane and ask if they think it can fly.
Hold the airplane high enough that everyone can see and drop it so that it falls to the ground.
Did the paper airplane fly? If there is air all around, and planes need air to fly, why didn’t it fly? (It didn’t overcome the force from gravity because it was dropped instead of thrown.)
Right now, the air that is all around you is pushing on you, but you don’t feel it because the pressure is even on every side of you. But, have you ever walked into a gust of wind? What happens? Suddenly you can feel the air pushing unevenly on you, forcing you to move backwards. Just like that gust of wind, flight not only requires air, it also requires a push from the air called air pressure. Again, hold up the paper airplane and point to the wings. Explain that in order to fly, the paper airplane needs lift to counteract the weight of the paper. Ask campers if they think the wings can provide enough lift for the paper airplane to fly. Drop the paper airplane