In this craft activity, students will:
- recognize, name, and compare the fractions 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8, as related to a whole circle.
- construct a penguin out of portions of paper circles.
© Harvey Barrison
In this craft activity, students will recognize, name, and compare the fractions 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 by constructing a penguin out of portions of paper circles.
In this craft activity, students will:
Tell students that today they will be making a penguin out of paper, but that this penguin is extra special, because it is made out of fractions of a circle. To teach the fraction concept, ask if students have ever eaten a whole cake. Or, did they just eat a fraction of it? Fractions are parts of a whole. Mention that fractions are often used in recipes. If students have helped their parents bake a cake, they might remember having to measure ingredients out in parts. Students will learn how to divide circles into smaller parts to be able to read the penguin recipe.
Have students fold the beak, wings, and feet to their liking, which adds some dimensionality and character. Students can bring home their creation to challenge their parents to figure out what is special about their penguin!
countershading: protective coloration of an animal characterized by darker coloring on the upper surface and lighter coloring on the underside
flipper: the wing of a penguin, used for swimming rather than flying
fraction: a part of a whole; a portion or section
Penguins are known for their tuxedo suit, but many do not realize that this coloration is an adaptation to evade predation by orcas and seals while swimming in the ocean. A black back blends in with the dark depths of the sea, so a predator has trouble spotting the bird from above. Likewise, a white belly makes the penguin less visible from below, when its form is cast against the surface made bright by the sun. This camouflage resulting when an animal’s back is darker than its underside is known as countershading. Birds, squirrels, dolphins, and fish all exhibit countershading, for they live and move in mediums that allow others to view them from above and below.
There are 17 species of penguin in the world, with all living on or south of the equator. Species can be distinguished by size, color variations, decorative feathers, and distinctive markings on their face and chest. The Fraction Penguin craft is based on the black-footed penguins featured in African Hall. Found in the wild off the coastal islands of southern Africa, black-footed penguins can be identified by their black beak, black feet, black horseshoe-shape band spreading across the chest, and white markings on the face.
Grade One
Visual and Performing Arts: Visual Arts
Grade Two
Mathematics: Number Sense
Grade Three
Mathematics: Number Sense