Automata Time

You just found a Art & STEAM Project, Well Done!!

Provided by Chango PTA, Mrs Juda & Mrs Proler

Welcome to another Craft-A-Long. This one is a double project.

2 projects that are related - first the caterpillar and then a butterfly.

Both projects are just for fun so unleash some creativity and let's get started.

Don't forget to share your creations @https://www.facebook.com/ChangoPTA

Enjoy this story while you create - Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty

Automata

An Automaton (Automata is the plural) is a moving mechanical device made to imitate something living . Paper Automatons are great ways to experiment with simple machines and allow you to be creative at the same time.

The Kit

Every kit is slightly different but you will find:

a clothes peg
some googly eyes
a Chenille Stem/Pipe Cleaner
green construction paper
a stick

You will need - something to make a holes, scissors, glue and markers

Double project craft-a-long contents

Crafting a metamorphosis - Caterpillar - recommended Kindergarten +

cut out a leaf shape

Let's make the Caterpillar first

Cut a leaf shape out of the larger piece of green construction paper, fill the piece if you can to give your caterpillar enough space to crawl
Draw some veins through the center for more realism, if you have a hole punch add some nibble holes around the edges
Roll the smaller piece of construction paper around the stick and glue the construction paper to itself to create a little cylinder.

The stick needs to move FREELY in and out of it.

This is our simple machine!

Glue this cylinder of paper to the stem end of the leaf, let them dry

Draw some veins

roll small piece of green paper around stick

a little glue

glue the roll to the stem end of the leaf

5. Take your Chenille Stem/Pipe Cleaner and bend over the end to make a little head, glue the eyes to the head section

6. Create a soft curve in the rest of the Chenille Stem/Pipe Cleaner

7. Once the glue is dry, push the stick through the cylinder

8. Glue the head end of your caterpillar to the end of the stick

9. With the stick, approximately, 3/4 of the way along the leaf, glue the tail end of the caterpillar to the paper cylinder.

Once everything is completely dry you can gently push and pull the stick to bring the caterpillar to life!!

Crafting a metamorphosis - Butterfly (and more) - recommended 3rd grade +

This beautiful Butterfly is a step-up from our last craft.

We are using the movement in the Clothes pin to create a moving, flying butterfly!!

We are actually creating another simple machine - A lever

Print the sheet first decorate your butterfly with marker pens --->

2. Cut it out carefully and the small rectangle above it

3. Fold the wings into the body along the dashed lines

4. Glue the rectangle to the end of the peg

5. Turn the peg over and bend the dashed ends of the strip of paper as shown

6. Glue the body of the butterfly to the top of the peg. It should over shoot the peg and the bent rectangular strip should meet the middle of the larger wings

Glue the body of the butterfly on top of the peg

This is what it should look like from underneath

7. Pull the wings up together. Where the strip of paper meets the wings is where you should glue the strip to the wings

7. pinch the wings together

8. glue the folded ends to the large wings on both sides

Let it dry and then slowly open and close the peg!

<------ This is is our finished butterfly.

As you open and close the clothes peg the lever opens and closes the wings!

Now you can try the same steps with the Eagle OR maybe you can work out how to make the Bat!

I will release a bat downloadable file in time for Halloween......

Keep Learning

If you enjoyed making these you can find out more about simple machines, in particular levers in this great video from Sci Show

If you still have access to EPIC you can also read more:

https://www.getepic.com/app/read/13730 I Use Simple Machines By Buffy Silverman (Kindergarten - 1st grade)
https://www.getepic.com/app/read/50417 Levers by Nancy Dickmann (ages 7-9)
https://www.getepic.com/app/read/70451 Crazy Contraptions: Build Rube Goldberg Machines by Laura Perdew and Illustrated by Micah Rauch (ages 10+)

If you want more projects like this or something else, maybe you have an idea or a topic please let us know.

(Contact Arts in Ed. Chango with your ideas and share your projects)

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