Activity Overview
• Constructing
• Testing
• Evaluation

Materials
• Hot Air Balloon Instructions (7)
• Glue sticks or paste (14)
• Balloon Gore pattern (7)
• Assorted-color tissue paper (50)
• Staplers (3)
• Extension Cords (3-4)
• Hair Dryers or Balloon Tester (3-4)
• Plain copy paper (7)
• Scissors (14)
• Paper Clips (50)

Hot-Air Balloon Construction
1) Locate six pieces of tissue paper and a glue stick
2) Lay one piece of tissue paper on a flat surface and make a line of glue one-half inch wide along one edge of its 30" sides. Take another piece of tissue paper of the same color and overlap the line of glue with one of its 30" sides.

Construction
3) Repeat steps 1-2 two more times. There should be a total of three large sheets of tissue paper.
4) Stack the three sheets on top of one another. Align the corners and sides. Fold the sheets lengthwise to create a rectangle measuring 15" x 39-1/2". Once again, align the corners and sides.
5) Fold the sheets lengthwise again to create a rectangle measuring 7-1/2" x 39-1/2".

Construction
6) Locate the gore template.
7) Align the sheets in alphabetical order, lengthwise. On
Sheets B, C, and D, trim the excess paper from the sides labeled Edge 2, 4, and 6. Throw away the excess paper.
8) Take Sheet B and overlap Sheet A until the pattern is lined up. Glue the two sheets together at the overlap.
9) Repeat Step 8 to connect Sheet C to AB and Sheet D to ABC. Cut out the pattern along the lines on the outside edges of Sheets A, B, C, and D.
A B C D

Construction
10) Hold the template and the tissue paper firmly and cut the paper around the curved edge of the template (Figure 3).
11) Remove the paper clips and the template. Unfold the gores while keeping them stacked together. There should be six gores.
12) Set the stacked gores lengthwise in front of you. Take the top gore and slide it straight up a half inch. On the gore that was just moved, make a line of glue half an inch wide along the bottom edge (the edge closest to you) (Figure 4).

Construction
11) Beginning at the center of the edge, fold 1/2" to 3/8" of the bottom edge of the second gore up and over the bottom of the first gore you just glued, fastening the two pieces together.
12) Fold the top edge of the top gore down to the bottom edge, thus folding it in half without pressing the crease.
13) Slide the second gore straight down a half inch.
14) On the gore you just moved, make a line of glue half an inch wide along the top edge (the edge farthest from you).

Construction
15) Beginning at the center of the edge, fold 1/2" to 3/8" of the top edge of the third gore down and over the top of the second gore, fastening the two pieces together.
16) Take the seam between the first and second gores and fold it up to the seam between the second and third gores.
Once again, do not press the crease.
17) Repeat steps 12-16 to fasten the remaining gores to one another. Do not fasten Gore 1 and Gore 6 to one another.
18) Pick up the balloon, unfold it, and turn it inside out.

Construction
19) Using the same process as before, glue the remaining two free edges together. There should be two holes in the balloon. The smaller hole is the top and the bigger hole is the bottom.
20) Locate the excess tissue paper.
21) Take a piece of the scrap paper and cut a six-inch square.
22) Fold the square in half twice to create a three-inch square. Carefully examine the four corners of the folded tissue paper. One corner has four free edges; the corner opposite it has none.

Construction
23) Cut an arc that trims off the corner with the four free edges. When unfolded, the paper should make a circle.
1 2
3
4

Construction
24) Completely cover the circle with glue.
25) Put one hand inside the balloon through the bottom.
With the other hand, take the circle and press it over the hole at the top of the balloon. Ensure a tight seal.
25) Locate the Zoon Balloon Mouth Pattern and cut along the two lines labeled “Cut line.” Overlap the pieces at the narrow ends a half inch and attach the pieces together using glue or tape. Fold the entire length of the joined pieces at the fold line.
26) Insert the bottom of the balloon into the folded strip and staple the strip to the balloon. Staple approximately every two inches. Overlap the strip if necessary.

Testing
Hold balloons over the launcher or a hair dryer allowing hot air to fill the balloon. After about a minute, the pull of the balloons upward will indicate the balloons are ready for launch. Let go of the balloon and watch it ascend.

STEM Connections
• Buoyancy
• Density
• Molecular motion
• Design Process
• Modeling
• Problem solving
• Prototyping
• Technological design
• Surface area
• Volume
• Measuring mass
14