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Crane
Factory 2007 Will Raise Funds for Operation Migration
Step-by-Step
Directions to Fold Your Own Paper Cranes
A
crane-folding factory is one of the activities of Nekoosa "Craniacs" in
the 2007-2008 school year!
In
October, after reading Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, the 4th graders
attempt to fold 1,000 paper cranes. They set production goals based on number
of
kids in each class and
time allotted
per
class period.
They also have to fill out an application for
the position they desire to perform for the day. Then it's off to work!
The factory is open for one day (and one day ONLY per year.) "I have never had a class of kids work so hard for a day," says teacher Heidi Hartman. "It seems to happen year after year with the ending product being better every year. This year, they folded 1157 paper cranes. In one day, there were 1004 cranes. The rest came from learning the process and odd one that kids practiced on. I think it is my favorite day of the year. We then use those cranes for our fundraising over the Thanksgiving break and the first 2 weeks in December. The money goes to Operation Migration to help pay for the Class of 2007's journey south." See the photo story below!
Good
luck, students!
Mrs. Hartman is glad to share her forms and signs in
PDF format for any of the activities in order to benefit other
teachers and the cranes! Look for
the hotlinks throughout this story.
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| The bell rings and the folding assembly line begins. This group of students works hard at squishing and flattening in the "Crane Folding Factory." |
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| This student is counting the cranes and making sure they are the proper quality or he sends them back down the assembly line. |
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Here
the cranes are being paper clipped onto a string so they can
later be hung down the hallway. |
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| Payday is a week after the factory closes. All students received pretend checks for working in the "Crane Folding Factory" for the day. Their paycheck includes taxes, overtime (if they worked over their lunch hour), bonuses, and commission. |
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| They take that check to math class and have to then budget their money for housing, food, and transportation. After the necessities are budgeted for, then they can have fun at the mini-mart and department store. Back in reading class, they do an activity with vocabulary to learn all of the parts of the paycheck. |
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Check out the cranes down the hallway. You
are seeing about 900 of them. There are about another 300 behind
the picture. |
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| Here is a pair of Craniacs starting to take the cranes down from the hallway and ready them for the fundraiser. |
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| These Craniacs are adding stickers to the paper crane wings to tell the purchaser of the cranes who made them and where the money is going. |
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| This Craniac cuts the label for the fundraiser envelopes. |
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These
two glue labels on the envelopes for the fundraiser. About 40
of the 100 students ordered nearly 800
paper cranes to sell, and they are still placing orders. Will the "Crane
Factory" need to reopen? |
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| This eager Craniac delivers bags of paper cranes to students. They can't wait to start working and raising funds for Operation Migration. |
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| More cranes to deliver for selling! |
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| Yes, the factory DID have to open for a second time. In just 65 minutes, 35 kids made 250 more paper cranes. |
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| This proud Craniac holds up two of his finished products at the end of the assembly line. |
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| Seventeen 18-inch paper cranes "fly" above the hallway. Each crane represents one of the real crane-kids on their first migration to Florida. They will remain in flight above the 4th graders until the Class of 2007 makes it to their Florida winter home. |
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| Paper cranes for sale to help the Class of 2007 reach Florida! |
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