Exploring Card Making and Insects
(Projects can be Community Service, MLK or Valentine Holiday Related)
Origami Butterfly
Vocabulary: Symmetry, asymmetry, origami
Materials: Glue, scissors, paper, pencil/markers/colored pencils/crayons
Directions:
- See Origami Butterfly Handout
- Start with basic origami tent fold, pulling up one wing on each
- Fold down triangle head to hold wings in place
- Fold butterfly in half through the middle of the body
- Fold wings away from body
- Ass extra creases to make wings look alive
- Students can then decorate butterflies with markers
Opportunity for Discussion and Play:
- Students can research pollinators
- They can create a flower garden out of construction paper or tissue paper
- Students can draw metamorphosis of caterpillar using white paper drawn with outline of a jar and talk about transformations they have noticed in their schools or neighborhoods
- Students can make caterpillars with a series of circles for body, rectangles for feet, and triangles for back decoration
See also: Origami Barnyard
Animated children’s books: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Folded hearts to make butterflies and ladybugs
Directions:
1. See templates
2. Trace template, fold construction paper, cut, and color
Ladybug, Ladybug http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6oLjMJ2FMQ
3-D Dragonfly
Directions:
1. Students cut a dragonfly body and wings out of strong paper or oak tag
2. Decorate with marker
3. Cut slits into the dragonfly body pull through wings so that it can stand