Make a Mobile!

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In this activity, learners make mobiles to explore the concepts of balance, counterbalance, weight, and counterweight. Learners are encouraged to work in groups or with their families to create balanced mobiles using a variety of materials of varying weights. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org.]

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
10 to 30 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$5 - $10 per student
Age Range:
Ages 6 - 14
Resource Types:
Activity, Lesson/Lesson Plan
Language:
English

Materials List (per student)

  • String, wire, fishing line
  • Pipe cleaners
  • Balance rod (can be wooden, PVC pipe, tree branch, coat hanger, etc.)
  • Scale to weigh objects
  • Recycled materials (plastic pop or salad dressing bottles, cardboard tubes, egg cartons, old magazines, etc.)
  • Art materials for decorating: markers, paper, foam shapes, colored tape, etc.
  • Natural materials (sticks, pinecones, dried flowers, shells, etc.)
  • Art materials (colored paper, yarn, small decorative items like beads, take out containers, trading cards, maps)

Keywords

Subjects

  • Engineering and Technology
    • Engineering
  • Physical Sciences
    • Motion and Forces
      • Gravity
    • Structure and Properties of Matter
      • Mass and Weight
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Conducting Investigations
  • The Nature of Technology
    • The Design Process
      • Invention and Innovation
      • Problem Solving
      • Troubleshooting and Maintenance

Informal Categories

  • Arts and Crafts

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Links STEM to other topics of interest such as arts and humanities
  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Chicago Children's Museum, 2010