Have you ever made a paper airplane? If so, you have made origami! The Japanese word “origami” translates as folding paper. “Ori” means folding. “Kami” or “gami” means paper. In Japanese, the “k” in “kami” is changed to the “g” sound when used in a compound word. Therefore, we have origami and not orikami. The goal in making Japanese origami is to transform a flat piece of paper into a 3 dimensional object without cutting, gluing, or even marking the paper.
When most people think of origami, they think of the famous Japanese paper crane. We will provide a simpler origami activity below, but you are welcome to try folding your own paper crane as you watch this video.
Paper Crane Activity – Advanced Activity from EzOrigami
Paper Boat Activity – Simpler Activity from EzOrigami
In a related activity called Kirigami, Woodlawn’s Art Teacher, Kim Lysne, combines the concept of paper folding, inspired by origami, with the art of folding and cutting paper, kirigami, to help her students transform 2-D pieces of paper into 3-D works of art.
- The video discussed many uses of origami in various fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Can you name a few of the many technological advancements where origami was used?
- In the video, we saw origami pieces created by Robert Lang and others. What was your favorite origami piece?
- Did you try making the crane, boat, or any other piece of origami? What did you make? We would love to see your creations or hear about your process.
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