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Balancing Bird Demo NGSS

  • Balancing Bird Demo (single)
    Item #: CTR-200
  • - +
  • Balancing Bird Demo (package of 12)
    Item #: CTR-225
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Balances on anything - your finger, a pencil, or the edge of your desk.

Description

This eagle balances on almost anything - your finger, a pencil, or the edge of your desk. Its center of mass (or center of gravity) is generally beneath the tip of its beak. Students can change the eagle's center of gravity by adding small pieces of tape or paperclips to have it to balance perfectly. Our proud bird can even be used to demonstrate rotational inertia! Just balance it on a pencil above your head, and turn around 360 degrees. The bird will remain in the same orientation due to its fairly large moment of inertia. Each comes individually packaged with a stand. Approx. 16 cm (~6") wing span. Colors may vary.

blog button Read more on our Blog - Center of Mass Challenge

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Reviews

21 reviews
the balancing eagle
Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Dec 21, 2021
very pleased with the quality of the animal. i purchased 4 for holiday gifts but when i opened the box today, i have only 3. sorry i did not notice this earlier. can you help?
michael cox

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2   0

Balancing bird
Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Sep 23, 2020
This make a fun toy. Very good quality. Going to use them for a family picnic and have the kids 'race' with them, to see who can get the furthest. And burn off some energy!
Maggie

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0   0

Un-balanced birds
Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Oct 5, 2019
I love the bald eagle coloring, but was very disappointed when the birds did not actually balance properly. I had not seen the description in the catalog that states they are not balanced. I have other birds purchased over the years and they were all balanced.
Barbara Crawford

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2   1

Very Popular
Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon May 18, 2019
People love to play with this toy, it is a popular addition to our nature center.
Amanda

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1   0

kids favorite - they can't keep their hands off of them
Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Feb 22, 2019
Great way to show center of gravity concept. Warning - they can break. The weights inside the wings sometimes knock loose when they are dropped.
Alan Feingold

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0   0

Unusable
Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Nov 21, 2018
Bird was over weighted in the front and the tail stands straight up in the air. Looks like a lawn dart. Would not recomend.
Galen Hall
Owner Response: Well, that certainly shouldn't be! We will send out a new balancing bird immediately.

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4   1

Great Product
Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Jun 3, 2018
A very good center of gravity demo that my students love.
Chris

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3   0

balancing bird
Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Mar 3, 2017
Very nice demo of center of gravity. Inexpensive, very simple for children.
Sian

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0   0

Teacher
Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Apr 21, 2016
Excellent
Bernardo Rawnicki

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1   0

Review of item
Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Dec 18, 2014
I bought several of these to use with my 8th grades students as an introduction to the three laws of motion. The students loved them and enjoyed trying to figure out how they worked.
Mary Kelly

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1   0

Off Center
Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Oct 2, 2014
It's an awesome toy, but I bought 3 and every one was off center. Even their eyes were tilted proportional to the off balanceness. Almost as if something was underneath the wing when it was painted and balanced in the machine.
Caleb
Owner Response: Sorry Caleb! I just checked our stock, and what we have on the shelves seem totally fine, but as with any mass produced product, I suppose there is potential for an error to occur. We are more than happy to exchange your birds so they are perfectly balanced. This is such a cool demo, and we wouldn't want it to be anything less than perfect!

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1   1

Balancing Bird Demo
Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Sep 20, 2014
Students think it is a magnet or some kind of trick--great demo of center-of-mass!
Marjory Kopp

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0   0

Great to get students engaged
Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon May 27, 2014
Students love this bird and statr to question why? and how? What a great lead in!!!
Roberta Wallace

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0   0

Always a favorite
Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Feb 13, 2013
Elementary age kids cannot get enough of these birds. Good for free experimenting and for balance lessons. Wings start to come apart after they are dropped on the carpet about 100 times.
Science Teacher

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Science Coach
Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Jun 8, 2012
The balancing eagle is great for demonstrating balance, center of gravity, stable position and more! It perfectly compliments NYC's Balance and Motion 2nd grade unit of study.
Jack Ruolo

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0   0

teacher
Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon May 29, 2012
I keep this balancing bird on top of my file cabinet and students wander in from the hallway to examine it! When they balance it on their finger tip an expression of joy and amazement is guaranteed. I bought the bulk packs and sold them at our holiday fair for a fundraiser - sold like hotcakes!
Connie Goochee

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0   0

Great demo!
Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon May 23, 2012
This is a powerful demo that always bedazzles the students. They will love to play with this for hours!
Justin Son

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0   0

Great demo
Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon May 23, 2012
This is a powerful demo on center of mass that always bedazzles the students. They will love playing with this!
J.S.

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0   0

Balancing Bird
Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon May 22, 2012
My 8th grade students love this little bird. At first, they are hard-pressed to explain how it works, but after a discussion of center of gravity, they notice the weights that can be seen through the plastic at the ends of wings. A great "AHA!" moment. I am doing an end-of-the-year raffle so students can use up old homework passes - a balancing bird is one prize, along with dropper poppers. The kids are excited!
Sue Brooks

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Balancing Birds Mystify
Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon May 18, 2012
Endless entertainment for our student in the Science Resource Center. The product is well made and affordable.
Sabrina

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Balancing bird
Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon May 16, 2012
Many students have seen the bird - but not the big version. I use this demo in my center of mass lab in physics. Both the kids and I love it.
Judith L. Schriver

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0   0

NGSS

This product will support your students' understanding of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)*, as shown in the table below.

Elementary Middle School High School

3-PS2-1

Students can use the Balancing Bird in the plan and to conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.

3-PS2-2

Students can use the Balancing Bird to make observations and/or measurements of an object's motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.

MS-PS2-2

Students can use the Balancing Bird in the plan of an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object's motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.

MS-PS2-4

Students can use the Balancing Bird in an investigation to construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the masses of interacting objects.

HS-PS2-4

Students can use the Balancing Bird as an introduction to an investigation to use mathematical representations of Newton's Law of Gravitation to predict the gravitational forces between objects.

Suggested Science Idea(s)

3-PS2-1
3-PS2-2
MS-PS2-2
MS-PS2-4
HS-PS2-4

Students can use the Balancing Bird in an investigation to understand Center of Mass. It will maintain its equilibrium at nearly all times, and will recover from a great degree of upset. The bird's balance point is its beak. Students can further explore disrupting the state of equilibrium by adding paperclips to the wings, pressing down on one wing or the tail.

Students can investigate their own center of mass by standing on their left foot on a block of wood. What happens to their body when you ask them to reach left with their left arm? Their right arm and right leg will move to regain balance or Center of Mass. How does this resemble the Balancing Bird? Ask them how center of mass helps in riding a bike, skateboard, surfboard, or snowboard.

 

* NGSS is a registered trademark of Achieve. Neither Achieve nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of, and do not endorse, this product.

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