2
Origami: a whale
Textbook pp. 8–9
GoalLearn about the art of origami and fold a whale from a square of paper.
New words
paper folding · origamito fold · buklamoqwhale · kitto crease · burmoq
Explanation
Origami is the art of folding paper into shapes. It comes from Japan. You usually need no scissors, just one square sheet. To get a sharp crease we press it evenly with a finger. A whale lives in the sea but is not a fish: it is a mammal. The blue whale is the largest animal in the world.
Worked examples
Square → triangle → fold one tip upward and you get the whale’s tail.
Class activity
You need: a blue square of paper (15x15 cm), felt-tip pen, white paper. Steps: 1) Fold the square corner to corner into a triangle. 2) Place the long side at the bottom with the sharp corners to the sides. 3) Fold the right sharp corner upward: this is the tail. 4) Draw an eye on the left and glue on a white paper water spout. Safety: smooth creases with a finger, never with scissors; ask an adult if the spout needs cutting.
Practice
1
Which country is the home of origami?
Japan
2
Is a whale a fish or a mammal?
A mammal
3
What do we use to smooth a crease?
A finger