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
Equations in Motion: Design and construct a mobile
Students participate in a lesson that covers the concepts of solving equations and inequalities. To master the concept they must demonstrate visually and verbally how both sides of an equation must be balanced. They construct a balanced...
Curated OER
Alexander Calder: Master of Balance
Students build simple mobiles. For this equilibrium lesson, students investigate the functions of three types of levers as they analyze artwork by Alexander Calder. Students then create their own simplified mobiles.
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, learners use their...
John F. Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center: Balancing Mobiles
In this lesson plan, middle schoolers 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...
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...
ArtLex
Art Lex: Movement
This site from Artlex is a fantastic description of how movement is used in the creation of art. There are links to works of art in sculpture, painting and photography as well as focused interpretations of how different types of movement...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Mobile Forces
The application of engineering principles is explored in the creation of mobiles. As students create their own mobiles, they take into consideration the forces of gravity and convection air currents. They learn how an understanding of...
Art Cyclopedia
Artcyclopedia: Listing of Kinetic Sculpture Artists
ArtCyclopedia's list of kinetic sculpture artists from the twentieth century. There are links to the sculptors' bio and works.
Other
Calder Foundation
A comprehensive site with a biography, time line, and images. The text in this site is suitable for older students, but the pictures and images will be loved by all.
Curated OER
Kids at Art: 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...