By the Fifth-Grade Class of John Cowens, Fort Vannoy Elementary, Grants Pass, Oregon
Editor’s Note: This article is a “vintage” treasure from our archives, originally published in the September/October 1996 issue of Dragonfly Magazine. It captures the spirit of curiosity and hands-on discovery that has always been at the heart of Project Dragonfly.
The Spark
Our class is always looking for things that fly well. One day, our teacher told us about kites shaped like pyramids. We were skeptical! Most kites we saw at the store were flat or diamond-shaped. We started wondering: could a pyramid-shaped kite actually fly as well as—or even better than—the ones you buy at a store?
To find out, we decided to build tetrahedrons, which are pyramids made from four triangles. Before we went outside, we studied how birds, rockets, and even boomerangs stay in the air. We learned about tzhe four big forces of flight: lift (pushes up), gravity (pulls down), thrust (moves forward), and drag (slows things down).
Our Predictions
We had a big debate before we started building. Most of the class was optimistic and thought our tetrahedrons would fly just as well as store-bought kites. However, some of us weren’t so sure. They argued that because triangles don’t have curved surfaces like bird wings or airplane wings, they wouldn’t be able to create lift. Others were worried the design had too many “holes” or that it would be too wobbly because it didn’t have a tail.
How We Investigated
We turned our classroom into a kite factory! We used plastic straws and string to tie together four triangles with equal sides to create a small tetrahedron. We then glued tissue paper “gores” to two sides of each small pyramid.
The coolest part was the assembly: we made four of these small pyramids and then tied them all together to create one giant, stable tetrahedron kite.
What We Found
On the next windy day, we took our creations outside for the moment of truth. Guess what? Most of our class was right!.
The tetrahedron kites soared beautifully, reaching heights of 25 to 30 meters. We didn’t even have to run to get them into the air. Even though they looked “weird” compared to regular kites, they flew smoothly without needing a tail at all. As our classmate Jolene said, “It makes you proud when you’re flying a kite that you made from stuff and it works well”.
Go Wild: Your Turn!
Do you think a pyramid can soar like an eagle or will it drop like a rock? We challenge you to build your own tetrahedron kite.
- Test the Materials: Would it fly better if you used plastic garbage sacks instead of tissue paper?.
- The Heat Factor: What if you used black paper? Would the sun heating the paper create extra lift?.
- Scale It Up: Try tying four of your finished kites together to make an even bigger one!.
The Field Guide (For Educators)
- Subject/Grade Level: Physical Science / 4th–6th Grade
- Inquiry Focus: Aerodynamics, Geometric Construction, and Experimental Testing.
- The Science Behind It: While traditional wings use a curved surface (airfoil) to create lift via Bernoulli’s principle, kites—including tetrahedrons—primarily generate lift through deflection. Wind hitting the angled surface of the tissue paper is deflected downward, creating an upward reactive force. The tetrahedron is also inherently stable because of its rigid geometric structure.
- Standards Connection: NGSS: MS-ETS1-4 (Developing and using models); MS-PS2-2 (Forces and Motion).
- Materials Needed:
- 24 plastic straws
- Tissue paper
- Kite string
- Rubber cement
- Scissors