As an end to our plant unit we create coffee filter butterflies.

Materials:

• 23 coffee filters
• A permanent marker
• Washable markers
• Red solo cups
• Water
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. I coloured the “body” of the butterflies prior to the activity because the bodies needed to be coloured in permanent marker.  I coloured both sides of the coffee filter on the seam.
2. Then I gave the filters to the students to colour chunks of different colours that would “seep” throughout the coffee filter making different patterns.
3. I pour about a cm of water into the red solo cups and had the students place their coffee filters in the water and watch the colour spread.
4. After the coffee filters had spread, we placed them out to dry.
5. Once the filters were dry we drew a wing pattern on the filters and cut them out.

The students were very excited and were able to display their work at our Parent Appreciation Tea.