We're sharing with you a shape butterfly craft over in the Pond Coloring Club this week! Provide a fun, creative paper craft experience for your students that is perfect for spring!
- counting and numbers - ask how many squares on their wing for example
- 2D shapes - ask what shapes they used
- describing shapes - encourage your students to explain how a square is different to a hexagon
- symmetry - challenge your students to make the shape patterns on one wing the same as the opposite side
Some options for coloring include:
- outline in marker and shade in pencil
- scribble with thick waxy crayon and wash with ink or watercolor
- oil pastel outline and chalk pastel shading
After students have made their butterfly, gather in your main teaching area and place all the butterflies in the garden (middle of the circle of students). Play a language and listening game. Model as the teacher, how to be the describer by going first. After this, select a student to have a turn. Describe one of the butterflies and as you progress, encourage students to raise their hand and attempt to select the butterfly you are describing. Add one more detail until a correct guess is made.
For example: The secret butterfly I am looking at has 2 pink wings. It has purple on its antennae. It has six yellow shapes on its wings. The shapes on its upper wings are blue. It has 8 blue circles and 2 purple circles.
Once all the butterflies are made, you can create a beautiful classroom bulletin board or window display, showcasing your students' hard work and facilitating more math talk and language as modelled in your class game!