Curated OER
Calder Mobile
Students investigate the sculptures of Alexander Calder. They view and analyze pictures of various types of sculptures, discuss how mobiles are a type of sculpture, listen to the book "Roarr: Calder's Circus," and create a class mobile...
Curated OER
Wired with Alexander Calder
Kids consider how the body functions and moves, how each structure has a specific movement and purpose. They apply that idea as they construct a sculptural piece that moves. For inspiration they look to the work of Alexander Calder,...
Curated OER
Alexander Calder: Master of Balance
Young scholars build simple mobiles. In this equilibrium lesson, students investigate the functions of three types of levers as they analyze artwork by Alexander Calder. Young scholars then create their own simplified mobiles.
Curated OER
Create a Butterfly Mobile
Learners construct a butterfly mobile. In this visual arts lesson, students use rice paper, watercolors, a coat hanger, and wax paper to create a unique butterfly mobile. Learners use photographs of butterflies to construct a realistic...
Curated OER
Mobile Forces
Young scholars design and build original mobiles and consider how the forces of gravity and convection air currents affect the finished piece. They explore how an understanding of balancing forces is important in both art and engineering...
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Flying Fish Mobiles – Kinetic Sculpture
Budding artists experiment with balance and movement as they learn about Alex Calder and his kinetic sculptures. They'll view several of Calder's pieces and review biographical information, then they'll work through the artistic process...
Curated OER
Alexander Calder: Animal Mobiles
Students are introduced to the life and art of Alexander Calder. Students define the vocabulary related to this work and then design and construct an abstract paper animal mobile.
Curated OER
Calder's Balancing Acts
Students learn the vocabulary of contemporary sculpture and distinguish between abstract and realistic sculpture, mobile and stabile, biomorphic and geometric. They write equations using Calder's mobiles
Curated OER
Rotational Equilibrim: A Question of Balance
Students explore the concepts of rotational equilibrium. They examine the history Alexander Calder and his mobiles. Students solve simple algebraic equations. They predict, draw conclusions, graph equations and examine the rotational...
Curated OER
Art and Technology - Design - Alexander Calder
Young scholars gain an awareness for the work of Alexander Calder, study a variety of utilitarian objects and discuss their purposes, and create graphic of a utilitarian piece using computer graphic software.
Curated OER
"3-D" Painting
Students experiment with color using tints and shades of at least 2 hues and create a 3-D painting/mobile.
Curated OER
Sculpture: Statues, Monuments, and More
Students explore some of the components of sculpture through a variety of artists and their artwork. The six lessons of this unit utilize the sculptures experienced when students were studying American history and the Native Americans.
Curated OER
Wire Circus
Second graders examine the life and work of Alexander Calder. They create a wire sculpture on a cirucs theme of their choice. They work on these projects in groups. They utilize telephone wire, or any thin wire cut to manageable lengths.
Curated OER
Planets in Balance
Students study the solar system by researching the planets. In this exploratory lesson students divide into teams and create mobiles.
Curated OER
Art in Engineering - Moving Art
Students study how forces are applied in the creation of art. They design mobiles and pop-up books while identifying which forces of nature act upon them. They look at air currents, gravity, and hand movement.
John F. Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center: Balancing Mobiles
In this lesson plan, students will apply mathematical, science, and engineering concepts to experiment with balancing levers. They will learn to classify types of levers to design and build a simplified mobile. Students will explore...
Albright-Knox Art Gallery
Albright Knox Art Gallery: Kinetic Art Mobiles
Alexander Calder invented two new kinds of sculpture: mobiles and stabiles. In The Cone, he combines elements of each-a stabile, or non-moving sculpture, connected to a mobile, or moving sculpture. In this lesson plan, students use their...
Marilyn J. Brackney
Imagination Factory: Create a Butterfly Mobile
This site provides information on Alexander Calder, the inventor of the kinetic sculpture known as the mobile, as well as detailed instructions on how to create your own butterfly mobile. Included are "Tips and Tricks" to making "a more...