Butterfly Wings Tissue Art
Level 3 promotes scientific thinking and structured expression.
- Framework: EYFS
- Unit: EYFS Summer Time
- Learning area: Nature
- Level: EYFS Reception
Objectives
- Analyse metamorphosis stages
- write explanations
- create colour wheel connections.
Instructions
Materials
- Coffee filters or white paper towels
- Washable liquid watercolors or diluted food colouring
- Pipettes or medicine droppers
- Black sugar paper cut into butterfly body shapes
- Pipe cleaners for antennae
- Trays or plastic mats for drying
Learning Objectives
- Demonstrate fine motor control by using pipettes to apply precise droplets of colour.
- Observe and describe the process of colour blending and saturation.
- Explain the basic stages of butterfly metamorphosis using descriptive vocabulary.
- Construct a symmetrical representation of a butterfly wing.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Begin with a brief group discussion about the life cycle of a butterfly, emphasizing the transformation from caterpillar to chrysalis to adult.
2. Provide each student with two flat coffee filters and a plastic tray.
3. Demonstrate how to use a pipette to squeeze small drops of watercolor onto the paper, showing how colours bleed and overlap when they touch.
4. Encourage students to experiment with colour placement, noting how primary colours mix to create secondary colours.
5. Allow the filters to dry completely on the trays.
6. Once dry, help students fold the filters slightly to create a wing shape.
7. Assist students in gluing their two wings to the sides of the black sugar paper butterfly body.
8. Guide students to twist a pipe cleaner around the top of the body to create antennae.
9. Invite students to display their work and explain their colour choices to a peer.
Educator Tip
To support students who struggle with fine motor precision, provide small sponges instead of pipettes for a different texture experience. If students finish early, encourage them to label the parts of their butterfly or draw a habitat on a separate sheet of paper to place their butterfly within.
Assessment
- Observe the student's ability to manipulate the pipette with a pincer grasp.
- Listen for the student's use of vocabulary related to metamorphosis during the discussion.
- Evaluate the student's understanding of symmetry by checking if the wing patterns reflect one another.
Assessment
Assess against Early Learning Goals (ELGs). Document evidence of 'expected' or 'exceeding' descriptors. Note: independent application of skills, ability to explain reasoning, and capacity to build on prior learning. Rubric: accuracy, reasoning, independence.