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The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

Tetrahedral Kite

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Tetrahedral Kite

A 5th grade STEM lesson

Author:

Kimberly Tornquist

Date:

May 1, 2024

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Notes for teachers

I used this plan to guide me through the stem lesson but you can find FREE resources here without paying for anything

This activity took around 3 days to complete

Having groups of desks together helped a lot with this activity. When time was up they could easily put their project in the container assigned to their group

List of Materials

Kite string with spool
Tissue paper
Straws
Scroll to bottom of page to find free resources here
Scissors
Stick Glue
Paperclip or small clamp
Marker

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ScienceStandards

5.P3U2.5 Define problems and design solutions pertaining to force and motion.

● Each force acts on one particular object and has both a strength and a direction. An object at rest typically has multiple forces acting on it, but they add to give zero net force on the object. Forces that do not sum to zero can cause changes in the object’s speed or direction of motion. (5.P3U1.4) Boundary: Qualitative and conceptual, but not quantitative addition of forces are used at this level.

● The patterns of an object’s motion in various situations can be observed and measured; when past motion exhibits a regular pattern, future motion can be predicted from it. Boundary: Technical terms, such as magnitude, velocity, momentum, and vector quantity, are not introduced at this level, but the concept that some quantities need both size and direction to be described is developed. ● How quickly an object’s motion is changed depends on the force acting and the object’s mass. The greater the mass of an object, the longer it takes to speed it up or slow it down.

5th-6th Grade Math Standards

5.G.B Classify two-dimensional figures into categories based on their properties.

5.G.B.3: Understand that attributes belonging to a category of two dimensional figures also belong to all subcategories of that category.

5.G.B.4: Classify two-dimensional figures in a hierarchy based on properties.

6.G.A4 Solve mathematical problems and problems in real-world context involving area, surface area, and volume.

Represent three-dimensional figures using nets made up of rectangles and triangles, and use the nets to find the surface area of these figures. Apply these techniques to solve mathematical problems and problems in real-world context.

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Objectives:

Students will be able to describe the concepts of lift and force. They will also be able to explain and apply the steps of the engineering design process.

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Agenda 3 days (Total of 3-5 hours )

Introduce the Tetrahedral kite and key vocabulary words
Show examples and start with day one only making 4 diamonds with the straws/string
Pass out materials for groups of 4 or 5.
Start by making 4 diamonds with the straws
Add Tissue paper the 2nd day and construct the 4 triangles
Finish up the kites and tie them together. You may have to add extra string if needed.
Test out your project on the 4 day and record observations on paper
Make modifications if needed

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What is a Tetrahedral kite?

A Tetrahedral kite is a type of kite composed of several tetrahedral cells arranged in a pyramid-like shape. This type of kite is a polyhedron because it is made of four triangular side and it is also known as a triangular pyramid. The other characteristics of a tetrahedral are that it has four vertices and six edges.

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Who invented the Tetrahedral Kite?

Here’s a picture of an early tetrahedral kite. It was designed by Alexander Graham Bell and it shows how the shape can be stacked for flight.

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Hands-on Activity Instructions

Each student made a kite. They were working in a group of 4-5 students. Each group shared a bucket to hold their supplies.

Step by Step instructions on materials slide, use the free version or purchase the detailed one

This video is an old one but it explains how to build this kite in detail. There are lots of videos on the internet also.

Hands-On Activity:

Print out free plans from material page or purchase the more detailed one
Put materials in bucket (String, scissors, glue and straws)
Start by making 2 strings. 1 string will be 5 lengths of a straw and the other string will be 2 lengths.
Use the 5 lengths string and put 3 straws on it. Tie the strings together with one side short and one side long. Attach the 2 length string to the other vertex on the triangle. Attach straws to both of these strings and then tie. You should have a diamond shape, refer to video if unsure.
Use a tissue paper and cut it in half. Use one half and then fold that in half. Using the dotting line of the template and place it on the fold. Hold into place with a paperclip and then trace with a marker. Cut around the trace. Open up the tissue paper and then place the straw diamond on top of it. Place glue on 4 flaps and fold them over. Have the teacher or responsible student be in charge of the tissue paper.
Attach another string to the vertex of the top of the diamond and add a straw. Tie the string to create a 3-Dimensional Triangle. You will create 4 of these 3-D triangles.
When finished place 3 of the triangles in the same direction in a triangle shape and tie them together. The last triangle students will attach with string on the top. See pictures for reference.
Once all students are done, put their name on it with a marker on the tissue paper.
I had the students use the spools of string when flying their kite.
These were so fun to make!!

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Pictures

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Pictures

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Pictures

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Assessment

Evaluating the kite and did it meet all the requirements
Using vocabulary-see below in teacher notes
Fly your kite and record how long your kite flew
Record the amount of string you used to fly your kite
Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper

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Assessment

After flying their kites, answer the following questions:
Did your kite perform as you expected?
What were some issues you encountered?
How could the design be improved?
What changes of modifications could you make?
What function would a tail provide?

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Differentiation

Reteaching how to tie a double knot before the design process

Going over vocabulary before the lesson begins: base, height, width, vertex, lift and altitude.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

When students come back into the classroom after flying their kite, graph the class results on graph paper, noting patterns or tends.

Make a tail for your kite. Did this help the kite fly better?