This model is great fun. Try altering the appearance of the character or turning it into a game.
Place the spinner on a sheet of paper marked into sections with numbers or letters. Choose one arm as the pointer. Spin to see where the pointers lands, then choose a card or score a number.
There are endless variations.
This model introduces the use of and axle to allow movement about a point (rotary movement). For the spinner to work smoothly, it needs to balance. As the children add streamers, they will discover
What happens when it is not balanced. To develop this idea, try the activity on the back of the card. This will reinforce the work on counter balances introduced in the first unit.
By testing, redesigning, recording, and retesting, children will explore and develop the concept of balance within structures.