Summer Classes: Kinetic Art for Kids
Target Audience: Students entering 1st through 5th grade
Registration Cost: $20 (non-member) or $15 (Friends of the Arboretum member) per student, plus admission.
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BALANCING NATURE: BUILDING A MOBILE: Using found objects in nature, students will create their very own kinetic art mobiles while using science and math in the execution of their creations.
WHIRLIGIGS: REIMAGINED: Harness the power of the wind! Use found objects to create unique and whimsical pieces of art.
WINDMILLS: A KANSAS KINETIC: Recreate a famous Kansas icon, and learn more about the importance of windmills in the history of our state.
A School Curriculum: Exploring Art, Math & Science through Kinetic Sculpture
Target Audience: Middle School, High School
PRE-TEACHING: Students define Kinetic art; give an example. Teacher supplements answers with additional information
Students presented with vocabulary common to construction of Kinetic art:
- Math: Golden ratio, Golden angle, Arc Circumference Phyllotaxis,
- Science: Spheres, Levers, bearings, balance, torque, friction
- Art: Scale, proportion, Balance, Aesthetics, Harmony
Supplemental materials: Pictures of kinetic sculptures, Videos from provided resource sections
FIELD TRIP: Students will view sculptures at Arboretum and draw conclusions about the elements present in each sculpture (based on the pre-teaching principles). Through this process a compare and contrast discussion can follow on site, or in the classroom, as an oral or written assignment.
APPLICATION: Using materials provided at the end of the field trip, in the classroom, students in small groups will design and construct a Kinetic Sculpture, discuss design decisions and demonstrate the sculpture's performance.
Downloadable lesson plans coming soon for the 2018-2019 school year.
Contact the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Garden at 913-685-3604 to arrange a field trip.