Do you know how your kite stays up in the air?



















Wind, of course, but how you make the kite is also important.


Research: Search Web Sites; library books; History
Collaboration: Everyone responsible for different areas
Ask an expert in kites, aerospace, etc.; Ask local kite organizations for assistance; Community

Publication: Hyperstudio, Web Pages, Video Production
Communication with parents on what kites used to be like and how they are different today. What materials are available for the kinds of weather and budget we have.
Communication: With class buddies of different grade level;

Communicate with people from different states on weather and how kites fly in different weather.

Application: Look at weather with different states
Looks at different kinds of kites around the world.

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Material list:

20 sheets of brightly colored 8 1/2" x 11" typing paper.
20 8" bamboo barbecue shishkabab sticks.
1 roll of fluorescent surveyor's flagging plastic tape. Available at any hardware store. A plastic bag cut in a 1" wide spiral all around will also make a great tail.
1 roll 1/2"wide masking tape or any type of plastic tape..
1 roll of string. (At least 200', 6 to 10 feet for each child.)
20 pieces of 1"x 3" cardboard on which to wind the string.
Scissors.
Hole punch. (optional)



Directions:

1.Fold a sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" paper in half to 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".
2.Fold again along the diagonal line A in Fig.2.
3.Fold back one side forming kite shape in Fig.3 and place tape firmly along fold line AB.(No stick is needed here because the fold stiffens the paper and acts like a spine.)
4.Place barbecue stick from point C to D and tape it down firmly.
5.Cut off 6 to 10 feet of plastic ribbon and tape it to the bottom of the kite at B.
6.Flip kite over onto its back and fold the front flap back and forth until it stands straight up.(Otherwise it acts like a rudder and the kite spins around in circles.)
7.Punch a hole in the flap at E, about 1/3 down from the top point A.
8.Tie one end of the string to the hole and wind the other end onto the cardboard string winder.












Plastic Trash Bag Kite

You need:

1 plastic kitchen trash bag

2 12" BBQ sticks

Scotch Tape

Thread

Scissors

Ruler

Take the bag and cut off the bottom

Cut across the top

Note that angles meet about 1/3 of the way from the top edge.

Attach the canes to the creases in the bag with scotch tape, as marked.

Reinforce the corners at points 1 and 2 by sticking scotch tape on
front and back of the plastic.

Tale about 4 yards of line and fold it in half to find the middle.
Tie and over-hand knot in the doubled line, to form a loop in the
middle. This is where you will attach the flying line.

Poke a hole through point 1 and tie one end of the 4-yard line to
it. Poke a hole in point 2 and tie on the other end.

Now attach the rest of your line to the loop and go for a test fly.

A few hints:

Go out in a gentle breeze, not a gale.

Kites are more stable and easier to fly on a long line. It's easier
to let out a load of line *then* launch, than to launch from your hand.

If it's diving to the ground, you'll find that if you *release* the
tension on the line, it may well turn round.











==========================
Anthony's Kite Workshop
by Gary Engvall
Draw a rectangle that is 4 units wide, and 3 units tall.
One unit down on each side (from the top), make a mark.
One unit *in* from each side,(on the top and bottom) make a mark.
Draw lines between the marks.
Cut along the lines.
You have just made one sled sail.
The elongated "V's" on each side are the keels.
Install a stick along the inside edge of each keel.
Make a bridle that is 3 times the distance of the length from keel tip to
keel tip (spread out).
Put a knotted loop in the exact center of the bridle (after it is tied to
the kite).

Africans - Vlieers

Belgian - Plakwaaier

Chinese - Fung jung

Dutch - Vlieger

English - Kite

Estonian - Lohe

Finnish - Leijani

French - Cerf volant

German - Drachen

Indonesia - Layang-layang

Italian - Aquilone

Japanese - Tako

Korean - Youn

Mexican - Papalote

Norwegian & Danish - Drage

Portuguese - Pipas

Philippines - Saranggola

Russian - Letuchij zmeij

Serbo-Croat - Zmaj

Spanish - Cometas

Swedish - Drake

Thai - Wau

American Sign Language - If you are right handed, take your left hand index finger, and point (touching) to the center of your right wrist just below your right
palm, with your palm flat (fingers extended to indicate a bigger kite). Your right thumb would normally be about 4-6 inches away from your right cheek, initially.
At the same time wiggle your right hand while raising it higher, about 6-10 inches.


Note to teacher: A good map activity would be to cut these kite names out and pin or tape them to the country from which they originated. An alternate activity would be to make miniature kite shapes and write the words on them. The kite shapes could be then placed on the world map.