You will need a paper plate, one brass paper fastener, glue, masking tape, magic markers and newsprint or newspaper for each student in order to make this unusual Noah's ark craft. The project is ideal for second and third graders.
Students will need to color wave motifs and fish circling the top side of their paper plate. A tiny hole will also need to be made in the center of the paper plate; it should be just large enough for a brass paper fastener to fit through it tightly. Then students will need to crush paper into a simple ark or boat shape using masking tape. I find that old telephone books have the best paper pages for crushing small shapes. After you have crushed an ark and masked it into shape with tape, glue a brass faster to the bottom of the boat, layer tape over the head of the fastener to hold it in place of over night as the glue dries. Then you may paint your ark brown. I used a permanent marker to color mine. I also Mode Podged my tiny ark to prevent it from coming apart after many small people play around with it. Insert the brass fastener into the center hole of your paper "ocean" plate and spin it around as you like.
You could turn this craft into a kind of game board if you prefer. Number off the fish and tape an additional arrow to the bottom half of your boat. In either case, children enjoy the novelty of this simple craft assembly. You may find them obsessing over a variety of ideas using the same concept in time.
More crafts with paper fasteners:
The Sunset by Darlene Stern, (age 8)
The sunset is very picturesque;
The sun works by day but at night takes a rest;
He throws on his rosy bedclothes;
The firefly his little lamp shows
And beckons night to come on!
