Summary and Paraphrase Assignment, Part 2

If you're not sure how to say something in a different way, just say it the same way.

In a summary or a paraphrase, you can use direct quotes—or exact language—from an informational text. When you use a direct quote, be sure to put the quoted text inside quotation marks, like this:

"A direct quote should be in quotation marks."

Don't use too many quotes, though, especially when paraphrasing. Most of a paraphrase should be in your own words.

Try paraphrasing something from the article "How Do Frisbees Fly?" Read the article, looking for a section or detail that would work well as paraphrased text. Then locate the Summary and Paraphrase worksheet, and add your paraphrased section to the worksheet. Once you have completed this activity, submit it to your teacher.

How Do Frisbees Fly?

boy with frisbee You've probably watched a Frisbee glide smoothly through the air. All Frisbees are round and mostly flat, but do they have to be shaped like that to fly? Frisbees are able to fly because they are lightweight, able to resist gravity, and stable enough to move through the air.

The first Frisbees were empty pie pans. Their shape has changed very little over the years. This is because Frisbees (and pie pans) are perfectly shaped so that they resist gravity—at least for a little while. Gravity is the force that pulls you down to Earth and keeps you from floating off into space.

Because Frisbees don't weigh much, they are able to fly easier than heavy objects can. Think about throwing a large rock and throwing a Frisbee. Which one can you throw farther? You will be able to throw the Frisbee much farther because it weighs less. Its weight helps the Frisbee defy gravity.

When you look at a Frisbee, you will notice that it has a domed top and rounded edge. These two features cause lift. Lift is what keeps airplanes and birds flying. It is a force that pushes up against gravity. As the Frisbee flies, air hits its rounded edge and bottom first. The air above the Frisbee moves faster over its curved surface than the air below the Frisbee. The faster air has a lower pressure than the slower air. It is this pressure difference that creates lift.

If you throw a Frisbee without spinning it, it will tumble and fall to the ground. However, if you give the Frisbee a twirl when you throw it, it will fly far and wobble very little. This is because Frisbees need stability to fly. This spinning action, which stabilizes the Frisbee, is called angular momentum. You can see angular momentum when you spin a top. As long as the top is spinning, it will balance on its point. However, when the spinning slows, the top falls over. The same force keeps the Frisbee gliding, or slicing, through the air in a stable way.

Although pie pans weren't meant to be thrown around, they were the model for a very fun and interesting toy. So the next time you throw a Frisbee, think about why it is able to fly—because it is lightweight, defies gravity, and is stable in flight.

This is the rubric your teacher will use to grade this assignment.

	Points	Criteria
Completion 4 Points	2	You provided an answer to all of the questions in this assignment.
Completion 4 Points	2	Your answers suggest that you completed all of the required reading for the assignment, including the lesson in which the assignment appears.
Skills Mastery 6 Points	3	Your answers show that you understand and can perform the skills related to this assignment.
Skills Mastery 6 Points	3	Your answers show that you gave a lot of thought to the questions or parts of the assignment.