Clairbourn School: S.T.E.M. Kite-Making Project

First-graders were challenged, in a recent classroom S.T.E.M. lab, to build kites that would fulfill a list of criteria for what would be considered successful flight. They were only allowed to use the materials provided, could not exceed a budget of 25 cents, had to stay within the designated time limits for building and testing the project, and their kite had to lift off the ground by at least five feet when pulled or placed in the wind.

There were four teams and, as a group, they selected materials to buy from their classroom “store” ranging in price from two to five cents, they chose a design that seemed the most promising, and then they constructed their projects.

Materials included wooden dowels, construction paper, tissue paper, waxed paper, aluminum foil, paper bags, plastic bags, craft sticks, straws, wooden skewers, masking tape, clear tape, and string.

They tested their kites on the playground and on the sidewalks on two different days. After each flight, student recorded their results and made modifications. Each group then gave a class presentation on the results of their test flights.

Clairbourn School, 8400 Huntington Drive, San Gabriel, (626) 286-3108 or visit www.clairbourn.org.