This post accompanies the tidepool craft here… Below find instructions to help students model a starfish and a sea anemone out of Modeling Magic™, Plasticine™ or a homemade modeling clay.
There are many varieties of starfish with a great variety of legs and colors, so your students are sure to have fun with their creations. The common starfish usually has 5 legs. To make children more aware of the types of starfish, have them create artwork with these tracers, which represent a regular starfish, a cushion starfish, a brittle starfish and a sunstar fish.
After the children have learned basic modeling techniques, show them how to make a starfish from the instructions below. Many will be happy making a starfish their own way.
Starfish are also known as sea stars. Each one of their tube feet are tipped with small suction cups to help them stick to the rocks or other surfaces.
How to model a sea anemone…
A sea anemone is a relative of coral and jellyfish. They spend most of their time attached to rocks on the sea bottom. When fish pass close by they get caught in the sea anemone’s venom-filled tentacles.
They have a foot and a cylindrical body, with a mass of tentacles surrounding their mouth. When something touches a tentacle, they quickly inject a venom into their victim which paralyzes it. Then the sea anemone eats it! When people touch sea anemone in a tidepool, they recoil into a small jelly like lump. They come in many colors and sizes.
How to model clay tide pool animals posts:
Starfish & Anemone
Limpet & Barnacles
Crab & Chiton
Tidepool craft