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work. However, students can get a feel for the
process by creating their own unique wing
glyphs. Don’t tell your students, but if you use
the wing pattern provided, there is a bonus
activity when they are done!
Before you begin the activity, determine
three or more characteristics of your students.
I have included one set I have used below.
Copy and cut out the wing pattern provided.
Be sure to model the decoration of the wings,
and have extras on hand.
A. I f your name starts with a vowel choose
two colors to use on your wing.
If your name starts with a consonant
choose three colors to use on your wing.
Artwork showing the
give each student a craft stick, a piece
B. If you ride a bus to school use one color to
life cycle of a butterfly,
painted by students at of stiff paper that is not as long as the craft
make an edge along the entire wing.
Hubbell Elementary
stick, two pencil cap erasers, a wide rubber
If you do not ride a bus to school do not
under the direction
band, and a twelve-inch piece of string.
make an edge along the entire wing.
of Laurie Mullen,
Tie one end of the string around one
C. If you are an only child put a circle on
a student of Ms.
end of the craft stick. Have the students
both the right and left sides.
Blobaum.
draw an insect on the paper, then glue or
If you are not an only child do not put any
staple one edge of the card to the craft
circles on the wings.
stick. Put a pencil cap eraser on each end
Have younger students practice decipher-
of the craft stick, then stretch the rubber
ing the code on each others’ wings, i.e.,
band over the erasers. Take the buzzing
“because there are two colors on this wing, I
bug outside and whirl it overhead. you
know your name starts with a vowel. There is
may need to adjust the rubber bands to get
an edge, so I know you ride a bus to school.
a good buzz.
There are no circles, so you must have a
After enjoying the sound, start a discus-
brother or a sister.”
sion about what is making the noise on the
you can challenge older students to use the
model (is it the rubber band, the paper, or a
information to create a dichotomous key, a sci-
combination of the two?) compared to what
ence skill that is very useful. When they realize
makes the noise on a live insect (flapping
there is not enough information to figure each
wings). you and your students can experi-
individual person, they can add more criteria.
ment with each element of the buzzer model
And for the bonus activity: After the stu-
to determine how it affects the sound.
dents’ wings are done, have them fold the
This provides a natural introduction to
wing along the dotted line, then open it up.
the study of insect wings. Not only can you
Carefully balance the wing on top of a sharp-
compare the size/sound correlation (the
ened pencil tip. Hold your hands around the
smaller the wing size, the higher the pitch),
pencil and watch the wing start to spin. How
the structure of wings is another area of
study.
Wing patterns
entomologists (scientists who study
insects) often use vein patterns to identify
species of flies and other insects. Quite
honestly, most school labs do not have the
proper equipment, nor do the students have
the patience and ability for such fine detail
page 6 • Connect © synergy learning • 800-769-6199 • March/april 2010
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