こんにちは Welcome to the World of Origami

Examples of Origami Folds and Models

Origami Definition Origami, (pronounced or-i-ga-me) is the Japanese art of paper folding. "Ori" is the Japanese word for folding and "kami" is the Japanese word for paper , as in paper folding.It is an art form that has been handed down from parent to child through many generations. Origami involves the creation of paper forms usually entirely by folding. Animals, birds, fish, geometric shapes, puppets, toys and masks are among the models that even very young children can learn to make in just one sitting.

Origins Of Origami Although Origami is known as a Japanese Art, it actually began in China. The Chinese invented paper around 100 A.D., and when the invention spread to Japan around 600 A.D., so did the art of paper folding.

The History of Origami In ancient times, Origami could only be used for special occasions because the paper was scarce. The figures made from origami were shaped like animals, costumed people, and ceremonial designs that had special meanings to them. The constructions were done using a single sheet of colored paper that was often, though not always, square. There were no directions back then. None of the folding instructions were ever written down for the models. They were passed down by generation through learning and practicing. The art of paper folding was not called Origami until the end of the nineteenth century. By the 1950’s origami gained popularity from world famous origami artist Akira Yoshizawa (1911-2005).

Akira Yoshizawa (1911-2005) He is considered to be the grandmaster of origami for developing origami as a creative art and creating many new folding styles.

First Book on Origami The first known book on how to make an origami object was written in 1797 and is called The Secret of One Thousand Cranes Origami (Hiden Senbazuru Orikata) Pictured to the left are pages from “The Secret of One Thousand Cranes Origami”..

Benefits Of Origami Did you know that when you practice origami, you are activating your whole brain? It has long been known that origami has many benefits like developing eye hand co-ordination, sequencing skills, attention skills, patience, temporal spatial skills, math reasoning etc. but according to the latest research on the brain and the work of Doctor Katrin Shumakov and Yuri Shumakov, when both hands are engaged, impellent motor impulses activate the language portion of the brain.

Benefits Of Origami (List) * Reading Skills * Writing Skills * Processing Skills * Visual Motor * Temporal Spatial * Logical Reasoning * Attention Skills * Concentration * Sequencing * Math Concepts * Measurement * Geometry * Proportion * Fractions * Symmetry * Problem Solving * Science Principles * Ecology* Creativity * Oriental Culture * Independent Study * Social Skills * Self Confidence * Library Skills * Manual Dexterity * Speech Language  Development

Review Questions What does the word “Origami” mean? A) folding paper B) cut paper C)creased paper What country did Origami came from? A) Asia B) China C) Japan The first book on Origami was about 1000 A) cranes B) rabbits C) dogs

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