STAGING

Why don't trees blow down in the wind?

Plant Survival & Engineering

4.7 (6349 reviews)

Lesson narration:

English Spanish

Scroll for prep

DISCUSS:

Why do you think the umbrellas blew away, but other things on the beach did not?

DISCUSS:

Why do you think trees don’t get blown down by the wind, but umbrellas do?

To help us figure it out, let’s pretend to be trees blowing in the wind. Maybe that will give us some ideas! Go to the next slide to begin.

DISCUSS:

What ideas do trees give you, for making an umbrella that won’t blow down in the wind?

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tree

1 of 12

a type of plant that has a trunk and branches

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root

2 of 12

a part of a plant that is usually under the ground

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trunk

3 of 12

the thick middle part of a tree

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branch

4 of 12

a part of a tree that grows out from the trunk and usually has leaves

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leaf

5 of 12

a part of a plant that is often flat and green

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shade

6 of 12

a dark, cool place that is not directly in the sunlight

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umbrella

7 of 12

a cover that protects from rain or sunlight

wind

8 of 12

moving air

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structure

9 of 12

the specific form and shape of something

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engineer

10 of 12

a person who uses science to come up with solutions to problems

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design

11 of 12

to make a plan for creating or doing something

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invent

12 of 12

to create something new, often an object or a way of doing something

Why don't trees blow down in the wind?

Plant Survival & Engineering

4.7 (6349 reviews)

Lesson narration:

English Spanish

Activity Prep

In this lesson, students examine structures like roots, branches, and leaves that keep trees from blowing down. In the activity, Wind-Proof Umbrella, they use their observations to create their own tree-inspired umbrellas that stay up in the wind.

Preview activity

Vocabulary

What you’ll need for student

Umbrella Top printout	2 per student
Umbrella Top Inspiration worksheet	1 per group
Scissors	1 pair per student
Dixie Cups (3 oz)	1 cup per student
Dot Stickers We prefer stickers because they are easier to distribute in a classroom. Tape also works.	6 stickers per student
Pipe Cleaners	2 pipe cleaners per student
Plastic Straws (Bendable)	2 straws per student
Playdough	2 ounces per student
Poster Board (28" x 22")	1 sheet per class

Prep Instructions

Each student will create their own wind-proof umbrella, but will need a partner to help with a few steps.

Decide if You Will Buy Playdough or Make Your Own

To make your own playdough, slowly add 2½ cups water to a mixture of 5 cups of flour and 1¼ cups of salt. Stir, then knead the dough. If it’s too sticky, add more flour.

Prepare Wind Test Station

Make a giant fan by folding a 22” x 28” sheet of poster board accordion style. If you have a two smaller sheets of poster board, tape them together, then fold.
Make one reusable umbrella stand for each student by pressing clay or playdough into the bottom of a Dixie cup. The cup should be a little more than halfway full.
Clear a big, flat area, such as a tabletop, to serve as a test station. It should be at least 36 inches across—big enough to hold four umbrellas without touching.

We've provided Umbrella Top Inspiration sheets to help students who get frustrated when they try to improve their umbrellas. We suggest you let students try on their own, providing Inspiration Sheets only to those who need help.

Standards

Jump to

18 mins

Hands-On Activity

40 mins

Wrap-Up

2 mins

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