Engineering The Wind

​I have done various versions of this project for years. HERE is a sample of previous incarnations created with 3 ft dowels. I usually tie the project to recycling, with students bringing in plastics and other items, but have always wanted to make a larger version.

​There were some concerns to be addressed. First off was the bamboo I needed. It turns out the stuff grows like weeds and many in our district were happy to be rid of 50 poles. Next was the collection of construction items. Knowing I was going to attempt a large version of the project, I have been collecting items for just this project for a while now.
 
Mylar, fishing line swivels, duct tape, tons of ribbon, and we got a donation of money for fabric from our schools Parent Teacher Organization in the form of a mini-grant. Other items I ordered (mostly through Nasco) were hula-hoop's, uncoated brazing wire (used for welding, but coat-hanger wire will do.) Very strong string is also helpful. I have a large amount of nylon that cannot be broken with bare hands. I ordered jingle bells and bottle caps as noise makers, and students brought in several items too.  I had been saving up a supply of spray paint. You don't need all these things, but I had a list in my head and kept adding to my hidden supply. A hack saw and pruning shears though are really important to have.
 
Some bonus items were signs left over from the district's funding initiative. Corrugated plastic is great for this project when you need durable pieces that will not wilt in the rain. Students were told to bring in one thing from home to incorporate into their project. Some things they brought were bottles, feathers, umbrellas, plastic spoons and cups, pompoms, old CDs, and more. Attaching items was interesting and required a little thought, sometimes glue was best, other time sewing was necessary, then of couse, Duct Tape.

With all my hording, I did not want students to waste supplies. I have been saving up for at least 3 years... So we began by having each student printing out an image of an item that uses or is influences by the air or wind. No one could do repeats, and this became our inspiration wall.

​Next was to find out what others have already done, so we collected videos and images of other wind inspired sculptures to see what was possible. From Christo's Gates, to Patrick Shearn's  Silver Cloud, to Janet Echelman's Boston Web, amazing art has been created to interact with the wind, so there was lots to inspire us.

​We went through 2 rounds of sketching, knowing that first sketches are often unrealistic. After the first round of sketches, students had to partner with someone they did not normally sit near and get a completely different point of view. They had to explain their idea and seek feedback about how plausible it was to build, was it too sparse or over complicated.  How could it be improved to not just use the wind, but possibly also incorporate sound and or light/reflection? They made notations and some re-worked their sketches.

The next round was to "show-and-tell" their idea. As a class we made further suggestions. Because I have done this a few times before, I spoke to the engineering part of their work to be sure it could actually be done, or if possible, simplify complex ideas. Making something spin around the bamboo is very difficult unless it's on the top, like an inverted bottle. Working small for a few years gave me insights that I might not have had if we jumped in with 12 ft bamboo on the first try. (My advice is to start small and see how well it goes for you.)

Setting ground rules is important. Every day I began the class reminding them of my expectations. They really must be repeated daily to keep students focused.
 
1. All sculptures must be made in such a way that we attach everything to the bamboo outdoors.
 
Why: Having 25 students working with 12 foot poles and navigating around the room is impossible, and likely a dangerous idea. All items had to be made so they could be simply attached to the poles by tying or duct taping. If they wanted mirrored pieces to put on the pole... it would be too time consuming to glue individual pieces onto the pole... solution, glue pieces onto a ribbon that is then wrapped and tied onto the bamboo.
 
2. If you take something out, YOU have to put it away. It was also helpful having students work in assigned seats to know who's mess belonged to whom.
 
3. You must be actively engaged in building during the whole class period. If you needed to wait for something to dry, then you go help someone to make sure everyone could finish at nearly the same time. Construction had to be done outside together. It's not a good idea to have students in 2 different locations while you build, unless you have another adult who can supervise. 

​Building elements gets chaotic, so this is the kind of project I do towards the end of the year so students clearly understand my expectations. If I have an unruly class that I do not trust, I would not do this project. I have many other "stay in your seats" kinds of lessons I can do instead. That said, most do well, and come to me when they need ideas on how to make something work. I walk around and am watchful for how they use razors, scissors, hot glue, etc. From concept to finish, this took about 3 weeks of work (50 minute classes) and maybe an extra day or two for putting sculptures around the campus.

​When done, students need to use their cell phones to take 3 images of their project. 1 close-up and 2 from different angles. I let them know this is how I will grade them. I have a rubric but will refer to the photos when we grade. The other reason we need photos is that should a storm come or an unruly student breaks something, we have evidence of what the sculpture looked like when it was newly installed. So though a project could be swept away by a storm, I still have a record of their work. 

For more of my lessons, please read more of my blog, or for printed resources, please visit HERE for 30% off all my books.