Start the school year off with a fun project for your students. Each week as they study a period of the Timeline of Life your students can create one charm to represent that period. The children must articulate why they chose that plant, animal or geologic feature. At the end of the study each student can share their bracelet or necklace with the class remembering the periods on the timeline and what they learned. For children who do not want to make jewelry, they could create a small diorama.
The charms on the pictured bracelet were made by tracing moveable pieces from the Timeline of Life and coloring them. To make the charms follow these directions:
- one piece shrink plastic per student (sold at Michael’s crafts)
- fine grained sandpaper
- good colored pencils or markers
- hole punch
- chain for a bracelet or necklace (sold at Michael’s crafts)
- small metal rings for attaching charms
- clasps (one per child)
- needle nose pliers (for opening and attaching the clasps)
Use sandpaper to rough up the back of the shrink plastic. Draw or trace an animal on the shrink plastic and color it. Cut out the animal. Punch a hole in the top so that you have a place to attach a metal loop to the charm. Bake following instructions on the package.
Measure out chain for bracelet or necklace. Attach charm to bracelet by attaching metal ring to top of charm using pliers to open and close ring.