Movers

Lesson Plan

Level: Brownies

Girls will earn the Movers Try-It after completing all the activities.

 

Items in the Movers Tub: (these items must stay in the tub) 2 Frisbees Bag of Crayons 3 rulers 11 Scissors 8 Pencils

Who has ever made a paper airplane such as this one? It’s easy to do…just a few folds of a piece of paper and toss it into the air. Some paper airplanes fly better than others. Why do you think this is so? Maybe it has to do with the angles, the type of material used, or it’s general design. Well, today we are going to use the air to our advantage by designing a few projects that use wind to move. Which ones will work better and why? Well, we will just have to find out!

Have you ever seen a windmill? It is a large twirling object that uses the wind to make energy. The same kind of energy we use as electricity! Who has ever seen pinwheels like this one? (show a purchased pinwheel) A pinwheel is like a mini-windmill because uses wind to make it spin. We are going to make our very own pinwheels, but it requires patience and detailed work. Are you ready?

What you’ll need: 2 pieces of square paper per girl (same size) Rulers Glue sticks Pencils (to write with) Scissors Straight Pins, 1 per girl Beads, 2 per girl New pencils, 1 per girl Metal Clippers

1. Have the girls pick out 2 pieces (different color) of same size square paper.

2. Glue the two pieces together using the glue sticks. Have them write their name on the back of one of their papers.

3. Using a ruler, draw a light pencil line from one corner to the opposite corner of the square of paper. Do the same with the other two corners.

4. Make a cut along each of the lines from the corner toward the center.

5. Slide a bead onto the pin.

6. Fold every other blade, four in all, (see picture), but don’t crease the folds!

7. Pass the pin through the center of the pinwheel. This will hold the four blades together.

8. Slide the other bead onto the pin.

9. Stick the pin into the side of the eraser.

10. Cut off the end of the pin that comes through the eraser. Take the group outside (if windy) or blow on them to make the pinwheels twirl.

The next thing we are going to do is build our own gliders. How many of you have ever built a glider before? Well, we are building ring gliders. They fly just like paper airplanes do, but the rings make them fly differently depending on which way you throw them, what type of materials you use, the wind available, and how it is constructed. First, let’s construct our gliders!

What you’ll need: Strips of Paper - Long Strips of Paper - Short Plastic Drinking Straws, 1 per girl Tape

1. Pick out one long strip and one short strip per girl. Have the girls write their name on the bigger strip.

2. Have them make two rings out of the strips of paper by taping both ends so they make two circles.

3. Slip one end of the straw in the smaller ring and the other end in the bigger ring.

4. Check to make sure that the rings are standing straight up from the straw. Tape the inside of each ring to the straw.

Now let’s go outside and test them out!

We know that wind helps planes fly, but what other purposes do you think wind serves? It helps to keep us cool, but it can also help us to predict the weather. One thing that can help us to know what direction the wind is blowing and how hard it is blowing is by making a windsock. After we make our windsock, you can take it home and hang it up outside where it won’t get wet. Then you will know what the wind is doing, too!

What you’ll need: Legal size construction paper, 1 sheet per girl Crepe paper Stapler String Tape Scissors Glue Crayons, stickers, sequins, etc

1. Decorate one side of the construction paper with crayons, stickers, sequins, glue, etc. Have each girl put her name on the outside as well.

2. Make a ring by stapling the ends of construction paper together. Make sure the designs are facing out!

3. Cut eight streamers and paste them to the inside of the bottom of the ring.

4. Tape each end of a 30" string to the inside of the top of the windsock to make a handle.

Rockets, like airplanes, need fuel to move through the air. When gases from this burning fuel are pushed out back, the rocket shoots forward. Today we are going to see how a rocket works.

What you will need:

You may need to work as a group or in pairs. Four hands are better than two.

1. Slide the string through the straw

2. Tie each end of the string to something, or two people can stand and hold it tight.

3. Tape the paper bag to the straw. Make sure top of paper bag is cut down about 3 inches.

4. Slide the straw with paper bag to one end of the string.

5. Blow up the balloon and be sure to hold it closed.

6. Launch your rocket by placing the balloon inside the bag, then letting go!

Closing: (Do closing before #5 so you can end outside)

Review:

1. Why is wind important? (weather, cool, etc.)

2. What do windmills make?

3. What elements effect how well a glider flies?

4. How do real rockets move forward?

Experiment #5: Frisbee Relay - (time/weather permitting)

We are going to finish up our day with a little relay game using a popular moving object, a Frisbee. Let’s go outside and play!

What you’ll need:

1. Divide the girls into at least two teams.

2. Divide each team in half. One half should go each line.

3. This is like a relay game of Frisbee Golf. When the facilitator counts to three, the two people on one side will begin to throw the Frisbee toward the other line. Each line should be quite a ways apart (i.e. Picnic Benches - Parking Lot) so that it takes that person a few throws to get it to the other person.

4. Once the Frisbee gets to the finishing line, the next person in that line begins to throw the Frisbee back towards the beginning line.

5. This continues until the last member of the team crosses the finish line with the Frisbee. That team is the winner.

This page last edited on Monday October 30, 2006.

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