Building a Working Wind Vane
2nd grade STEAM Activity
The challenge... do you dare to accept it?!
After learning about weather, the students were challenged to create a working wind vane.
Materials - Attempt #1
The students were only able to use cardboard, tape, one straw, one pencil, and one push pin.
Ask
What are the rules of the challenge? Have others done this before?
Imagining
Quinn is brainstorming various ways to build a wind vane.
Plan
This group is in the planning stage and making a picture and describing how they will engineer their wind vane.
Will it work? Can it accurately show the direction of the wind?
Create - did your plan work?
Test 1
Room from improvement
After testing each wind vane, the students reflected on what worked and what did not work. The students learned that all great ideas can be improved. After some brainstorming, they went back to work.
Materials- Attempt #2
The students were only able to use cardboard, tape, one straw, one pencil, one push pin, AND a hot glue gun (students determined that the tape was not strong enough to support the pencil).
Group 1
The first time through the design process, group 1 only ended up with a cup. It did not accurately show the direction of the weather. The second attempt they made the base sturdier and did not put the base of the push pin so close to the pencil tip. This change let the straw move more freely.
Group 2
Group 2's first wind vane did move when placed in front of the fan. During construction of the second wind vane, they decided to glue the pencil to the cardboard box. The glued pencil provided strength and the cardboard provided a great way to carefully transfer the wind vane from their work station to the test station.
Group 3
Group 3 made quite an impressive animal for the top of their first wind vane. After some discussion and reflection, they identified that the animal, although grand, was hindering the movement of the straw.