Gone Fishing

Doing a little paper engineering, the A & the E (and heck, even the T, as we were using some basic-level technologies) in STEAM*!  Shared this project with my weekly STEAM session for grades 1-5, after telling a fishy tale.

The kids at the upper end of the grade range got through it pretty quickly, and were able to help the younger kids.  A child in the middle was able to do the same.  Some of the kids in grades 1-2 expressed immediate frustration and impatience, though after receiving assistance, they loved their final products.  I wish I'd photographed those, but I was too busy providing reassurance and a helping hand!  All of the children enjoyed customizing their final products: no two were alike.

This coooool fish project came from Krokotak, and art-filled website I'd never seen before stumbling upon these fish.




*STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math

Wouldn't you love to have a fish on the wall?

Being a long-time aquarium lover, I really enjoyed seeing this craft at a preschool where I shared stories recently: fish-bowl wall hangings!

Here's how they seem to have been made:

Materials needed:

Paper plate

Blue construction paper (at least as big as the plate)

Colored paper for the fish

Scissors

Glue stick

Pencil

Ribbon

Stapler or Hole Punch

How-to:

1. Place paper plate upside-down on blue construction paper & trace the edge.

2. Cut out the circle of blue paper.

3. Take the paper plate & cut out the flat center circle.

4. Draw fish shapes on the colored paper & cut them out.

5. Draw details onto your fish, if desired.

6. Glue the paper plate, top-side down, onto the circle of blue.  It could also be stapled or "woven" using yarn through punched holes along the perimeter.

7. Now, put the fish in the tank!  Choose your placement & glue them onto the blue background.

8. To hang, staple or hole-punch & tie the ribbon to the top of your "fish tank," and cut the ribbon to the desired length.