#3609. Balancing Mobile Time Line

Science, level: Elementary
Posted Thu Jan 12 09:48:23 PST 2006 by Tonya Wilson (wilsontt@pickens.k12.sc.us).
Dacusville Elementary School, Pickens, USA
Materials Required: A hanger for each child, string, tape, glue, and objects from around the room (pencils, stickers, ma
Activity Time: 1 hour
Concepts Taught: Balancing, Weighing, Time lines

Balancing Mobiles Time Line
Grade: Second
Lesson: Balancing Mobiles Time Line
Concept: Balancing and Time Lines
Materials: A hanger for each child, string, tape, glue, and objects from around the room (pencils, stickers, magazines to cut pictures out of, pipe cleaners, and any other things that could be used to hang on the mobile)
Objectives:
· The student will demonstrate the ability to create a mobile that balances, equally, on both sides. This will be assessed by each student making a mobile that will hang equally with five items hanging.
· The students will demonstrate the ability to correctly complete a time line about him or herself. This must include five life events and the dates must be labeled. The description of the events must be in order and in complete sentences.
Set: Students will have already been introduced to the concept of balancing. They must understand that each side of a balance doesn't have to have the same amount of items, just the same amount of weight in order to balance. They need to know about the importance of a fulcrum and how it can be moved in order to balance. Explain to students that the following activity will include balancing and weighing, along with creating their own time line.
Explanation: Students will need to find five objects that represent a time in their life. This could be a small ball, a pencil, a picture, etc. They must then write a sentence about the time of their life that the item or object reminds them of, such as a pencil reminds them of starting school. The students will then take the five events in their life and put them in order. Each student must write a complete sentence about each event, explaining what the event was, the item that represents the event, and the year that the event occurred.
Procedures:
Students will then begin making their own mobile.
1. First allow students to write the five events and sentences on five 3x5 index cards (I allowed my students to decorate the cards).
2. Students will need to hole punch the corner of the index card and tie a string, any length, to the card.
3. Then students will find an object to represent that time and tie it to the card.
4. The card and object will then need to be attached to the mobile.
5. Repeat this with the other four items and cards.
6. Once students have tied all items to the hanger, allow them to move the items around so that the hanger will balance. When it is balanced the student will need to tape the strings in place.
7. I suggest hanging the mobiles from the ceiling.
8. After it is completed, discuss how each mobile is different, but all are balanced.
9. Also, discuss the time line and how important it is to have it in sequential order.

The students in my class really enjoy this activity. I like it because it covers so many areas. It has science; balancing and weighing. It also includes writing complete sentences, and it covers timelines. Of course, you will need to touch on all areas before assigning this lesson.