Mobiles Mobiles were invented by the American sculptor Alexander Calder in the early 20th century. A mobile provides a visual representation to tell a story, create an impression, demonstrate a relationship, encourage creativity and spark the imagination. This section includes the purposes of mobile, types of mobile, materials for mobile, instructions for making mobiles, and pupil selfassessment samples for mobiles. This section includes: Purposes of Mobile Thoughts that Come into Mind about Mobile Types of Mobile Materials for Mobile General Procedure Directions for Making Mobiles Bird/Crane Mobile Butterfly Life Cycle Mobile Branch Mobile Coat Hanger Mobile Cloud Mobile Coconut Mobile Dough Mobile Fruit Mobile Gourd Mobile Hoop Model Lid Mobile Nature Mobile Planet Mobile Puffy Fish Mobile Seashell Mobile Tin Can Mobile Tissue or Paper Mobile Pupil Self-Assessment
Purposes of Mobile The mobile can be used by all pupils from early primary to secondary grades. Using a mobile provides pupils with the opportunity to create a concrete visual representation of a concept. The pupil can explain, write about or demonstrate the meaning of the mobile to another pupil, to a small group or to a class. The mobile challenges the imagination! The purposes of the mobile include: demonstrate pupil knowledge and understanding of a concept. demonstrate relationships of components to each other. represent a historical, scientific, or fantasy scene. develop imagination. communicate nature scenes, geologic representations and many other concepts.
Thoughts that Come to Mind when using Mobiles The mobile can be used to develop learning and thinking strategies. This section includes strategies with statements and questions for the teacher to display on a chart then encourage pupils to practice using them. There are many strategies; select one strategy and ask pupils to use the statements and questions during the Mobile Activity. Strategy Gathering Information Tapping Prior Knowledge Visualizing Predicting Questioning Determining Importance Word Solving Making Connections Monitoring and Fixing Evaluating or Critiquing Inferring Summarizing Analyzing Synthesizing Statement and Question Examples That s important because I did not know that That is new or interesting because What do I know about this topic? What do I know about this genre? What words might I expect to learn? I see pictures in my head when I read I feel what I read is It is like a movie in my head I wonder if I want to know What is going to happen? I wonder I was not sure when Who? What? Where? When? Why? The story was mostly about The author is trying to tell us that The important details were Do I know a word that fits the meaning and looks like this word? Do I know a word like this? Can I divide this word into syllables/chunks? It reminds me of the time I because It reminds me of when I Read because It reminds me of something I heard about because I am confused That is not right I get this or I do not get this This is unlikely/likely because Some important information is missing here because This shows the attitude of the author Why did the character do that? I think she will turn out to be The author did not say but I think The most important things I learned are What is the most important point or big idea? What do I now understand? The author s craft is evident The use of language is skillful The characters are so well developed I understand this in a new way I see more clearly after reading and doing this That must be one of the reasons it (an event) happened
Types of Mobile There are many types of mobiles. For most subjects, themes and topics, a mobile can be made to visually represent a concept, demonstrate a relationship of one concept to another; or develop the imagination. This section includes some examples of mobiles. Some examples of mobile include: Bird/Crane Mobile Butterfly Mobile Butterfly Life Cycle Mobile Branch Mobile Coat Hanger Mobile Cloud Mobile Coconut Mobile Dough Mobile Fruit Mobile Gourd Mobile Hoop Model Lid Mobile Planet Mobile Puffy Fish Mobile Seashell Mobile Tin Can Mobile
Materials for Mobile The table illustrates the materials needed for making mobiles. It is important to substitute materials that are available in your local environment. Be creative! Recycle and reuse things that are safe. Model Subject Area Base Materials Natural Materials Bird/Crane Mobile A4 paper, colored paper, card, chart Butterfly Mobile Butterfly Cycle Mobile Branch Mobile Clothes Hanger Mobile Cloud Mobile Coconut Mobile Dough Mobile Fruit Mobile Gourd Mobile Hoop Mobile paper, old file folders, newspaper, magazines, pamphlets, cardboard, tape, masking tape, duct tape, scissors, compass, ruler, stapler, staples, hole punch, can opener, paste, paint, paint brush, crayons, markers, string, thread, wire, twine, dowels, metal rods, clothes hanger, old fabric, cotton balls, cardboard box, cans, plastic lids, pot, spoons, bowl, cookie cutter, wax paper, aluminum foil, plastic bags shells, pebbles, stones, sand, straight sticks, branches, wildflowers, leaves, pine cones, seeds, nuts, feathers, rice, wheat, pasta, grass, straw, gourd, coconut Lid Mobile Planet Mobile Puffy Fish Mobile Seashell Mobile Tin Can Mobile
General Procedure for Building Mobiles The following General Procedure describes the steps for building a Planet Mobile for a Unit on the Solar System. Teachers should share with the pupils an example of the Planet Mobile the pupils will be making. Verbal and written directions are enhanced when an example model is available for pupils to analyze. 1. Show pupils a model of the Planet Mobile and explain to pupils they are going to make a Planet Mobile of the Solar System. 2. As a class: brainstorm the names of the planets (Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto) list the planets starting with the Sun (Start with the Sun, followed by Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto) discuss the range in size of the Sun and planets (Note the Sun is the biggest. The planets are too big to represent accurately. Suggest making Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune smaller than the sun and making the remainder of the planets much smaller. Ask what is special about Saturn - Saturn has rings). 3. Record the pupil s ideas on the chalkboard or on chart paper. 4. Divide the pupils into working groups of 5 or 6 pupils. 5. Provide each group with a piece of cardboard about 30 cm across. 6. Have pupils find the center of the large cardboard by drawing a line from top to bottom and a line from right to left. Where the two lines meet marks the center of the circle. This will be the location of the Sun. 7. Have pupils use a compass and draw the orbits of the 9 planets by drawing circles around the center of the piece of cardboard. Remind pupils the first 4 planets orbit close to the Sun then there is a gap where the asteroids orbit. The last 5 planets orbit far from the sun. 8. Using a pair of scissors or a large nail, pupils will punch a series of 9 holes in the cardboard. The first hole is made in the center for the Sun; then one hole is punched in each orbit for each of the 9 planets. 9. Have pupils make circles for the planets. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are a bit smaller than the Sun. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars and Pluto are smaller. Saturn has rings. Write the name of the planet on the back of the circle. Color or paint the planets. 10. Tape, paste or staple a piece of string to each planet. Place the string in the correct hole in the large cardboard circle (Mercury goes in the inner orbit, Venus is second, Earth is third, and so on). Adjust the strings so they lie in a plane. Tie. Display. 11. Give each group an opportunity to present their Planet Mobile to the class. Pupils can also evaluate, summarize and synthesize the activity. 12. For younger pupils present leading questions (For Example: Why does the Sun go in the middle? What are the most important things you learned? Can you point out the planets to us?) 13. Have pupils complete the Pupil Self-Assessment at the end of this section.
Directions for Making Mobiles There are many models of mobiles. For most subjects, themes and topics, a mobile can be made to visually represent a concept, demonstrate a relationship of one concept to another; or develop the imagination. This section includes sixteen models of mobiles use the model as illustrated, adapt the model to your classroom environment, or create a new model. Have fun! This section includes sixteen models of mobile: Bird/Crane Mobile Butterfly Mobile Butterfly Life Cycle Mobile Branch Mobile Coat Hanger Mobile Cloud Mobile Coconut Mobile Dough Mobile Fruit Mobile Gourd Mobile Hoop Model Lid Mobile Planet Mobile Puffy Fish Mobile Seashell Mobile Tin Can Mobile