How to Make a Pinwheel Science Project for First-Graders
A pinwheel is a simple machine that can demonstrate the strength or speed of wind. Any moving air, even someone's breath, is considered wind.
A pinwheel can only work when it is pointed into the wind source. Demonstrate to the students that no matter how hard you blow, or how fast the wind blows, if the pinwheel doesn't face the source, it will not turn.
Remind the students that you can not see the wind, but you can see the effects of the wind, like with a pinwheel. For further discussion, ask students for examples of how they can know it is windy outside. What are some other things that wind can move?
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Things You'll Need
- • Pinwheel Pattern
- • Sharpened Pencil
- • White construction paper or cardstock, 8½ by 11 inches
- • Plastic straw
- • Scissors
- • Paper fastener/brad
- • Crayons/markers/colored pencils for decorating pinwheel
Instructions
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1
Print the pinwheel pattern on the construction paper and cut it out along the solid lines.
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2
Decorate both sides of the paper.
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3
Carefully cut along the dotted line of the printout, being careful to not cut inside the center circle. Set aside.
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4
Use the pencil to poke a hole through the straw about 1/2 inch from the top of the straw and set aside. Using the pencil again, poke small holes through the printed black dots in each of the corners of the paper.
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5
Gently fold the paper so that the holes now meet in the center of the inner circle and press the paper fastener through. Be careful not to let the paper unfurl.
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6
Lay the pinwheel and fastener down on the table, with the pointed side of the fastener up.
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7
Gently press the plastic straw through the fastener, using the starter hole, and open up the fastener by laying the fasteners in opposite directions. The pinwheel is now complete.
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Tips & Warnings
The paper can be decorated with crayons, markers, colored pencils and even stickers, but be sure to not weigh down the paper with too many stickers.
Unless the students have safety scissors, a teacher or parent should help cut the paper.
