How to Make an Airplane Model for School With Waste Products

Conservation includes three major principles: recycling, reusing and reducing waste. You can reuse waste products including paper, cardboard and other common household goods in a variety of creative ways. One of the more imaginative options is to create something new from the discarded items, such as an airplane model. This can be accomplished with a little imagination and a few simple school-appropriate tools.

Things You'll Need

• Interior tube from a paper towel roll
• Small cardboard box
• Clear plastic bottle
• Scissors
• Glue
• Crayons or paint

Instructions

1. Cut off the top and bottom of a plastic bottle. Begin your cut at the top of the label--if it has one--or where the molded shape begins to taper.

2. Glue the top of the plastic bottle to one end of the paper towel tube. Glue the bottom of the plastic bottle to the other side of the paper towel tube. You can remove the bottle cap if you want a more aerodynamic plane, or leave it on for an additional place to color.

3. Draw two wings out on the sides your cardboard box; cut these out and glue them directly onto the fuselage. Just remember to let the glue dry prior to any attempted "flight."

4. Use the discarded cardboard to create a single tail fin which goes just ahead of the plastic bottle's bottom "engine." The tail fin should be roughly 1/6 to 1/4 of the wing size.

5. Draw or paint your own customization on the aircraft. An older child may prefer to paint his airplane model. However, crayons are a good alternative for younger children.

Tips & Warnings

• When coloring your plane, you can include a history lesson by drawing the tiger face of the P-40 Warhawk. Discarded water bottles usually fit better than soda bottles and are easier to color.

References

• Fun With Recycling: 50 Great Things for Kids to Make from Junk; Marion Elliot; 2001

Resources

• PBSKids.org Eekoworld Kids' Conservation