Spectacular State Report Projects For Any State!
Put a unique spin on learning about famous people from your state by having your students create celebrity spinners.
Materials
• one manila folder per student
• glue sticks
• thread
• copies of the circles template on page 28
• colored pencils or markers
• tape
• ruler
• pencil
• X-Acto knife (for teacher’s use only) or scissors
WORKSHEET & Sample PDF Activity
Sample PDF Activity
Celebrity Spinners Getting Started
Depending on the grade level you’re teaching, you may want to cut out the disks using an Exacto knife prior to beginning this activity.
How-Tos
- Give each student a manila folder and a copy of the template on page 28.
- Students should use a pencil and ruler to draw a line six inches from the folded edge of the manila folder. They should then cut along this line, cutting through both sides of the manila folder.
- Have the students cut out the two circles on the circle template.
- Students should place Circle Number 1 in the center of the manila folder and trace around it with a pencil. Using scissors (or the teacher or parent can use an X-Acto, Exacto knife), students should cut the circle out of both sides on the manila folder. They should cut the circle out as carefully as possible, as they will be using both the circle and the manila folder to complete this activity. You should have them cut the circle out of one side of the manila folder, and then have them trace around the hole they just cut to create an exact duplicate of that circle on the other half of the manila folder. They can then cut the second circle out.
The two circles that students cut out of the folder will now have to be made a little smaller. Students should take Circle Number 2 from the template and place it on top of each circle. They should trace around the template and cut it out. They will now have two manila circles that are a little smaller than the circular holes that they cut out of the folder.
- On one of the manila circles, students should draw a picture of a famous person from their state. The person should be in a scene or in a pose that reflects his or her significance.
On the other circle, students should write a descriptive paragraph that details the importance of the person on whom they chose to report. - Give each student a seven-inch piece of thread. Have students tape the thread vertically behind the illustration of the famous person so that an equal amount of the thread is above and below the circle.
Students should glue the two circles together—back-to-back—with the thread running
vertically between them, creating a spinning disk. - Students should cut a small slit in the folded edge of the manila folder, directly below the circular hole.
They should feed the thread through this hole so that the spinner is set in the exact center of the hole. They can tape the thread to the back of the manila folder. Students should pull the other end of the thread taut and tape this piece of thread to the back of the manila folder as well. - They should then use a glue stick to seal the folder. The spinner should now hang freely and turn within the hole.
- Above the spinner, students should use creative lettering to write the name of the famous person. Below the spinner, they should write a phrase describing the person.
- Students should bend the right and left edges of the folder backward (about two inches on each side) so that the folder can stand on its own, allowing the spinner to turn.
- Line the spinners up on a shelf or table to create an animated display of people who made significant contributions to your state.
TEACHER TIP
You can also use this activity when studying famous women or African Americans from your state.
Celebrity Spinners – Printable Spinner Template
