Today's Classroom Activities :
The Kites of Spring
Kites of Spring
Poetry/Art Get some paper kites or make some kites together. Then, on a nice windy spring day, share the poem below and do some kite flying together. What do you need to know about wind direction? What keeps the kites afloat?
Flying High
by Heidi Roemer
My kite darts high up in the sky;
I tightly hold the string.
Kites in flight are oh-so-nice
and one fun sign of Spring!
Flying Away with Facts
Math/Art Use construction paper and tissue paper to make kites. Along the tail of the kite, have students put the digits that make up the fact families with the operation you're studying. Some kites may contain only sums, products, differences and quotients. Place the numbered kites on a bulletin board and have students complete the fact families.
Kite Tales
Writing Bring one broken kite into class. Young writers will recognize this problem. Ask them to write a story about this kite. What might have happened to it? How? When? Where?
Let's Go Fly a Kite
Art/Math Fold two sheets of colored 8 1/2" x 11" paper into quarters. Keeping the first sheet folded, cut a straight diagonal line from the bottom center and fold to the outer top fold. Set aside. On the second kite, cut on all the folds to form four small triangles. Glue two of these on the first kite in opposing corners. Do the same with the other two triangle shapes. Glue the shapes down. Decorate the kite, add yarn or string ends and hang. Have students make fact-family kites by adding numbers or parts of speech being studied, etc.
Kites & Flight
Science Use this popular spring sport to teach about the yaw, pitch, roll, lift and drag that relates to kites as well as to aircraft. Visit the website www.nationalkitemonth.org to study kite designs and plans, and read the explanations for all of the above factors. Ask your students to make some kites, fly them and compare their flights. Also have the class read the article on the website about kite safety before heading out to fly them.
You Stay Here!
Poetry/Science Discuss what it is that makes kites fly. What do shape and proportion have to do with it? Have all of your students had the opportunity to fly kites? Enjoy the following poem together and discuss if it is a true representation of kite flying. Then ask your students to write about their kite-flying experiences.
My Kite
by Martin Shaw
It loops and dives and soars about
Just like a bird on high.
It sails above the tops of trees
On puffs of air 'twill fly.
Just like a horse, it pulls and tugs,
For that's how kites do play.
But with both hands I clutch its strings
So it can't fly away.
