MINI-WINDMILL
TIME REQUIRED: 20 minutes
MATERIALS REQUIRED: Scissors, tape, a pencil with an eraser, small
strip of paper, a ball-headed straight pin and
a six inch square piece of stiff paper.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Children will learn the wind is a source of energy. Explain how windmills are used to pump water from
the ground and to generate electricity.
INTRODUCTION: Wind is an amazing thing. You can't see the wind, but it
can power a sailboat, make electricity, or simply blow autumn leaves across your driveway. In this experiment,
you'll make a small version of a windmill, and watch as
the invisible wind spins it round and round!
STEP 1: For this you'll need scissors, tape, a pencil with an eraser, a
six inch square piece of stiff paper, a small strip of paper, and a ball
headed straight pin.
STEP 2: Roll the small strip of paper into a tube and tape it. Trim the
tube to 1/4".
STEP 3: Take the six inch square piece of paper and fold it once
diagonally. Fold it again diagonally, and unfold the whole thing. Cut
along the folds to within 1 inch of the center.
STEP 4: Bend each of the four corners of the paper and bring them to the
center. Let them overlap each other slightly.
STEP 5: Push the ball-headed straight pin through all four layers of the
paper. Place the little paper tube onto the pin, then stick it into the
side of the eraser on the pencil.
STEP 6: Blow on your pinwheel and see how the force of your wind spins
the wheel around. Put your mini-windmill outside where you will be able to see it from a window inside your house. If it's windy outside, the
wind will catch the sails of your pinwheel and spin it around! You'll be
able to watch from inside and tell if it's windy outside!
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Revised
09/25/2007
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