Jellyfish Art!

This week the book in our Journey reading program is Jellies, The Life Of Jellyfish by Twig C. George.  This is an excellent informational text with great pictures!  My kiddos loved learning all about jellyfish!  

{click on the picture to get your own copy!}

Fun facts about jellyfish:


* Jellies do not have brains or hearts.
* They can only go up and down.
* Their tentacles sting for protection and to catch food.
*Australian box jellies are more dangerous than a cobra!
*Some even grow their own algae for food.
*The Arctic Lion's Mane jellyfish can grow to be as long as a blue whale!!!


I also made one of these awesome DYI jellyfish.  I used it as a motivational tool during whole group reading.  I moved it from desk to desk while we were reading.  They only get a turn if they are following along and reading together. I am going to have it out so they can play with it when they finish their work early.  

{click the picture to check out this fun moms great blog!}

Here are the steps to make the art project we did today!

Materials needed:

thin see through wax paper sheets

crepe paper

glitter paint

paint brushes

glue sticks

scissors

pencils

Helpful hint:  become good friends with the lunch lady (THANKS TEDDI!) then when she least expects it hit her up for large wax paper sheets like these ones.  ;)  They aren't very waxy at all.  They are more like grease blotting sheets. 

(I couldn't find a picture of the large sheets)

First, fold the wax paper in half, hot dog style.  Then, outline the shape of your jellyfish.  Make sure you start at the top of the fold.  You will need to be able to open them up.  Just like in nature, our class came up with many different styles of jellies.

Next, cut out the jelly body making sure not to cut the fold on the top so you can still open it up.  Carefully cut both sides at the same time so that they line up.  I tell my students to make sure to pinch the paper together so that it doesn't slide around.  Also it helps if they keep the tip of their scissors on their desk while cutting.  The paper needs to stay flat on their desk to do that.  

After cutting it out.  Open up the jelly and glue strips of crepe paper on the bottom for tentacles. 

 If they drape the tentacles over the edge of their desk then everyone has enough room to work create.  

After that pass out paint brushes and paint.  Paint the inside first.  It makes it easier if you paint the side with the crepe paper.  That way, when you fold it back together it's not as messy.  After it's folded back together paint the top.  

If you use the thin wax paper then when you fold it back together you can see the paint from both sides.  I also let them paint to top when it's closed because painting is just so much fun!

Here is the final product!

I'm going to hang them from the ceiling this weekend.  I'll add add a picture once they're up!  I just love how they turned out.  They are going to add some fun color to our room!