Mexican Metal Tooling Butterflies

First and Second graders read "Waiting for Wings" by Lois Ehlert and "Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly," by Alan  Madison. We learned that butterflies go through a process called metamorphosis.  We also learned that monarch butterflies migrate to Mexico for the winter.

Metal tooling is a type of folk art common to Mexico.  We used thin metal sheets to make our butterflies.  They are "tooled" by pressing the design in with a pencil.  We colored the butterflies with permanent markers.  We will make our beautiful butterflies into a mobile.

LA LOTERIA~ MEXICAN BINGO

Our students are not offered Spanish language at the elementary level, but since I speak Spanish, I love this project as a way to introduce some simple Spanish vocabulary.  Loteria is a common Mexican game, similar to Bingo.  The brightly colored cards are icons in Mexico and beyond.  Upper unit students used metal paper, permanent markers and oil pastels to imitate the Mexican folk art of metal tooling.