Plan
- Where will you do this adventure?
- What do you know about pendulums? Where do you see pendulums in the real world?
- How will you build a stand for your pendulum? What materials will you need?
- What materials and tools will you need to build your pendulum?
- How will the paint get out of the pendulum bob?
Do
- Build your pendulum and pendulum bob.
- Mix water and paint so it will flow through the pendulum bob.
- Fill the pendulum bob with your paint and water mixture.
- Pull the bob to the side, open the nozzle, and let it fly!
- Interrupt the motion of the pendulum bob to change the design on your paper.
- What do you notice about the pattern on your paper?
Review
- What do you know now that you did not know before?
- How did you change the patterns on your paper?
- What happened to the pattern on the paper as time went on?
- What did you like about this adventure? What did you not like? How would you do this adventure differently?
- What elements of STEM did you use in this adventure? Science? Technology? Engineering? Mathematics?
Materials
- Liquid paint
- Water
- Large paper
- Materials for the pendulum stand (chairs, broom handles, branches, etc.)
- A container for the pendulum bob (water bottle, glue bottle, cup, etc.)
- String
- Garbage bags or tarps for easy clean up
Keep it Simple
- What are some other messy ways that you can paint? Finger painting? Potato stamps? Splatter painting? Don’t forget your smock!
Take it Further
- Run a paint night for your Section! Have one person lead the painting and have everyone follow along. You could also try following along with an online tutorial.