Let's Go Fly A Kite

Objective: By completing this activity the students should be able to: Understand basic
information about the Beaufort Scale, Identify what type of wind is best to fly different kite
designs, and create their own kite.

Materials: kite patterns and instruction (A. G. Bell Kite, Adelino's Philippine Kite, Arrow Kite,
Bird Kite, Chinese Kite, Cylindrical Kite, Four Sheet Kite, Half Sheet Kite, Kelly Improved Kite,
Octopus Kite, Scott Sled Kite, Triangle Box Kite), kite flying tips and rules, kite tail pattern, kite
string (1 roll per student), Beaufort scale, colored paper - regular copier paper works best,
pencils, markers, art materials, scissors and tape, ruler (1 per student), paper clips

Background: Historians believe that the Chinese flew the very first kites more than three
thousand years ago. At first they made them by stretching silk over bamboo frames; later they
covered the frames with paper and decorated the kites with winderful colors and designs. The
Japanese, the Koreans, and the Egyptians were other early kite flyers.

While kites have always been flown for fun, they have also been used for military signaling, in
religious festivals, and for science experiments. In 1752 Benjamin Franklin flew a kite during a
thunderstorm to prove that there was electricity in storm clouds. The electricity in the stormy
atmosphere struck the line of the kite and traveled down to a brass key tied onto it. It caused a
spark and proved to Benjamin Franklin that his theory was correct.

Lawrence Hargrave invented the first model box kite in 1893. Box kites have been used to
predict the weather. From 1898 to 1933 the National Weather Service maintained kite stations,
which flew box kites equipped with thermometers and other weather-measuring devices.

Kites can be made from many different materials, including paper, cloth, plastic, nylon and
Mylar. There are five basic designs of kites:
1) Bowed kits don't need tails; their surfaces are curved to create an angle to the wind. Bowed
kites are also known as Eddy kites.
2) Flat kites need tails to direct them and keep them pointed toward the sky.
3) Delta kites are triangular and can be flown when there isn't much wind.
4) Flexible kites are designed to form different shapes when the wind fills them.
5) Box kites are three-dimensional. When wings are added to a box kite, the result is called a
compound kite.

Procedure:
Make copies of the Beaufort Scale - one per student. Give each student a copy and review how
winds are rated. Explain that the class will be making kites and that they will need to refer to
the Beaufort Scale to determine what type of wind is blowing outside when they fly their kite.

Review the kite patterns. The kites range from easy to make to very challenging. You may want
to pre-determine which student gets which kite. The kite pattern is separate from the
instructions. Make a copy of the one pattern for every student, based on the set of instructions
the student chooses (or you choose). Hand out a set of instructions and a copy of the
correlating kite pattern to each student. Note: some kites do not have a tail. There is a separate
tail pattern for those kites that do not already have a tail. This pattern is included in the section
with the kite patterns.

Give each student a copy of the "Kite Flying Tips and Rules" sheet included with these
instructions. Carefully review with class.

Give each student several pieces of colored paper. Regular copier paper works best - heavier
paper such as construction, card stock or poster board seems to be too heavy for the kite to
fly.

Stress to each student that careful measurements are a must. All folds must be as straight and
as sharp as possible. Follow the instructions and patterns carefully. Most kites should be
symmetrical.

Encourage students to decorate their kites with a favorite weather or wind symbol.

Extensions:
To help demonstrate wind direction, have your class construct spinning weathervanes:
Material List - cardboard, scissors, wooden stick, pencil, cotton balls, tin foil, paints (or
markers/crayons), glue, and straws.
Directions: sketch the outline of a rooster on the cardboard and cut it out. Paint or color both
sides. Draw and cut out an arrow shape and cover it with tin foil. Glue the arrow to the bottom
of the rooster. Glue a straw to the bottom of the rooster and plug the top end with a cotton
ball. Place a thin stick inside the straw. Push the stick into the ground. Now the weathervane
can spin in the wind.

Comic books, especially action comics, are full of onomatopoeias. Have each student make an
onomatopoeia list of words that describe the sounds of the wind. Then have them make a
comic book or strip using their word list. Display on a "blustery" bulletin board.

Visit the Miami Museum of Science web site. Go to the section on observing wind. Have
students explore each segment to discover information on wind speeds, hurricanes and
anemometers.