MACON, Ga. — Cirrus Academy students are putting their science, tech, engineering, art and math (STEAM) skills to the test by building and flying their own kites.
They had to figure out the math to build them before taking their creations to the sky.
"We have to really measure this out and for the kite -- because the straws -- if it's too long, it might not fit with the paper, so we have to measure it out and figure out how much paper we need to put over the straws," said sixth grader, London Perrin.
Middle school math teacher Stephanie Chatman says it fits right in with their geometry lesson while also teaching how other scientific factors could affect how the kite flies.
"They learn weight and how to manage material and construct it with flexibility and use surface area to be able to do that, and then they pull the angles together and pull the kite together," Chatman said.
Perrin says it took her group 45 minutes to build a kite out of tissue paper, straws, glue, and string.
"The paper straws are inside the plastic straws because the plastic straws are very stable than the paper ones, because they're bendy. It helps the kite stay stable and not just fly away," said Perrin.
The kite project is one way Cirrus Academy teachers develop their students science, technology, engineering, art and math skills, also known as STEAM.
"It gives them the opportunity to be able to really get involved and discover. Work in teams, and we are preparing them for the workforce and this gives them a great opportunity to be ready to do that," said Chatman.
"If you wanted to build walls when you grow up or measure the floor, you'll need to learn how to measure something," said Perrin.
Every student at Cirrus from kindergarten to eighth grade flew their own kite.
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