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Brief Description
Celebrate
the warm winds of spring with a colorful, breezy pinwheel!
Objectives
Students will
- study the advantages
and disadvantages of wind energy.
- follow instructions
to create a pinwheel.
- make a unique
and original artistic design.
- use scissors
and art supplies appropriately.
Keywords
art,
craft, pinwheel, wind, craft, March, following directions,
spring
Materials Needed
- copy of the
Playful
Pinwheels work sheet for each student
- crayons, colored
pencils, or markers
- scissors
- paper punch
(optional)
- one straw for
each student
- one paper fastener
for each student
- Internet access
(optional)
Lesson Plan
Making pinwheels
is a simple, colorful, and creative craft that can easily
be adapted for use with all age groups, and it links easily
to the scientific study of wind energy.
Begin this lesson
with a science focus by asking your students to describe a
wind
farm. What might a wind farm be like? Is there one near
your school? What kind of site would it require? In windy
areas, large wind turbines are used in groups to harness wind
energy and turn it into electricity.
If Internet
access is readily available, you may visit a Web page called
Wind
Energy from Energy
Quest to learn more about wind farms and wind turbines.
Alternatively, you may print this information in advance of
the lesson as a resource for discussion or gather related
materials from the school library.
Discuss the difference
between a windmill, which grinds or mills grain or pumps water,
and a wind turbine, which is used to turn a generator that
makes electricity. Also talk about the advantages and disadvantages
of wind energy. While it is a very earth-friendly type of
energy, it can be less reliable than other resources.
Now relate the
motion of a windmill or wind turbine to that of a pinwheel.
Pass out copies of the Playful
Pinwheels work sheet as well as crayons and scissors.
- Have the students
cut out the squares on their sheets and color both sides
in a unique design. (Remind students that portions of the
back of the square will be seen from the front once the
pinwheel is assembled.)
- Instruct them
to cut on the dotted lines nearly, but not completely, to
the center dot.
- Punch out the
four outlined holes on the square or have students punch
them out with a hole punch or scissors.
- Make a hole
in the center where the black dot appears.
- Distribute
straws and paper fasteners. For younger students, punch
holes near the top of the straws for the students. Older
students may do this with scissors on their own. Students
will form the pinwheel by bringing the outside triangles
of the paper to the center, lining up the holes, and pushing
the fastener through the lined-up holes.
- The ends of
the fastener should also be inserted in the hole of the
straw and then separated to form a secure hold that is not
too tight to allow the pinwheel to spin.
- Student names
can be written on the back of the pinwheel center.
Activity
Notes
- If
you choose, the work sheet may be copied on card stock or
used as a pattern for students to make pinwheels out of
stronger paper.
- Older
students might safely use a pin pushed through the center
of the paper and secured in the eraser of a pencil rather
than a paper fastener and straw.
- You
might collect and display pinwheels in a Styrofoam base
as a simulated "wind farm." Place it near an open window
for a dynamic display!
Assessment
Assessment is achieved
through observation during discussion and evaluation of students'
success at following directions as evidenced by their finished
pinwheels.
Lesson Plan Source
Education World
Submitted By
Cara Bafile
National Standards
FINE ARTS:
Visual Arts
- GRADES
K - 4
NA-VA.K-4.1
Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes
NA-VA.K-4.6
Making Connections Between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines
- GRADES
5 - 8
NA-VA.5-8.1
Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes
NA-VA.5-8.6
Making Connections Between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines
SCIENCE
More Resources
We've gathered lesson ideas that are sure to brighten your
classroom and plant seeds of learning on our special First
Day of Spring page. Click to return to this week's lessons,
Affordable Art for a Sensational
Spring.
Originally publishes 03/21/2003
Last updated 02/21/2008
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