Who Moved Those Rain Clouds to Town? Making Windbirds to Learn about the Power of Wind

Journal of STEM Arts, Crafts, and Constructions. Library, University of Northern Iowa, 1227 West 27th Street, Cedar Falls, IA 50613. Tel: 319-273-2965; Fax: 319-273-2913; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://scholarworks.uni.edu/journal-stem-art

Y

13

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

NNX15AJ16H

Teachers

Kindergarten; Elementary School Science; Weather; Art Activities; Integrated Activities; Science Activities; Fiction; Nonfiction; Science Instruction

2475-966X

In this practical article, a kindergarten teacher shares a lesson designed to teach students about the power of wind. To address the Next Generation Science Standards engineering standards, students discussed the negative and positive aspects of wind and made daily weather observations (K-ESS2-1). Students constructed bird-shaped windsocks, called windbirds, to explore how the shape of the object allowed it to move in the wind (K-2-ETS1-2). To address the National Core Arts Standards, creative arts were integrated as students designed cylindrical windbirds of colorful materials. The windbirds were used to observe the effects of wind in the students' outdoor environment at school. Students read both fiction and nonfiction books to increase their understanding of wind related concepts, learning how windmills can harness the power of the wind (K-ESS2-1). The article provides a review of related literature and a detailed plan of the lesson taught by the teacher.

As Provided

17

2016

EJ1151179