Middle School

The Essential Questions
What is kinetic art?

Objective
Students will learn about physics while constructing a modified pinball machine.

Materials
cardboard boxes, cut cardboard shapes in various sizes, ping-pong balls or marbles, hot-glue guns or tape, scissors, clothespins with springs, various craft materials and color media for embellishment

Procedures
1. Prior to the lesson, cut up cardboard boxes into various shapes. Box tops or bottoms can be cut diagonally so that the trough sits at an angle like a stand-up pinball machine. Leave some cardboard boxes whole for students to cut from and work with as a base.
2. Explain to students that they will create their own functional pinball machines. Using the cut cardboard pieces, students can create tracks/traps, sinkholes, and other pinball features to glue to their machine. Encourage students to experiment and refer to images of pinball machines if needed.
3. Students determine how to launch the ball. They can rig a spring clothespin with chip clips at the initial channel, or players can flick the ball up the start chute with their finger.
4. Students decide on a point system for where the ball lands and write down the rules for their game.
5. After their machines have been tested for functionality, students can decorate and embellish them as desired.
Assessment
Students reflect on the following questions: How did you get the machine to work? What did you notice about the angles and force speed of the ball? How did you design the rules to be attractive to players? How is this kinetic art?

Erin Tapley is an art education coordinator at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina.