Secondary String Prints - Gr. 1

I did this easy printmaking lesson with first graders, but I think even kindergarten students could handle it at this time of the school year.

The materials are simple: chip board or cardboard cut into small squares, thick string, Elmer's glue. printing inks (I used secondary colors), brayers, barrens, and white paper.

A student learning to rub her print using the back of a spoon instead of a barren.

The resulting prints are really one-of-a-kind mono prints because of the process, but if you print only once then you could do a series of collograph prints instead.

A collection of prints and printing plates.

Step 1: Have students write their names on the BACK of their cardboard squares. Then distribute strings. The strings are dipped in glue so they get really gooey. This is definitely a project where the students will get their hands dirty. The dripping strings are loosely arranged on the cardboard with parts of the overlapping. They will look almost like a scribble or doodle. Make sure the strings are pressed flat against the cardboard. Put more glue on top if needed. Let dry completely.

Step 2 (optional): Seal the strings down with a coat of acrylic paint. If you have the students do this it will take another day to dry, so you may choose to do this between sessions.

Step 3: With the glue (and paint) now dry the prepared plates are ready for printing. I usually set up a little printing station with three colors at it. I make sure I squeeze out the ink, but let the students practice rolling the brayers. Before students come up to use the ink have them write their names on white papers. Remind them that clean prints don't have fingerprints so they need to be really careful handling the paper while using the inks. For this particular project the students rotated around the printing station overlapping the three colors and turning their printing plate one turn with each new color to get three prints that overlap each other.

*while groups of three are printing have a small activity available for those waiting at seats.

Step 4: Display or mounting. For this project I had ended up cutting circles out of the prints, and stringing them to make a sort of curtain. They were backed with sticky gold paper which held them on the fishing line. Displayed near a vent in front of a window the individual circles would spin and catch the light.

And another collection of prints and printing plates.

Color Theory Ice Cream Cones Gr. 1

It is a little early to be thinking ice cream, but with the mild winter we've been having here in Massachusetts, I figured why not look at some lessons for the coming Spring. And I remembered I had this lesson when I saw Art with Mr. E looking for food-themed ideas.


This lesson began when I was teaching summer camp. It was an extended day program where the kids were basically with me for about a half an hour to have some fun making art before going on to swimming or some other camp activity. Since it was summer I wanted them to make something they could relate to -- ice cream cones -- but at the same time learn or demonstrate some art skills -- color mixing!


I would like to try this lesson again with some modifications. I would add texture to the cones using rubbing plates and crayons or art stix. I would have the students use tempera rather than watercolor to paint the color scoops. I would have the background developed by adding clouds or the child's portrait ready to lick the cone. I would keep the cut-out hands holding the cones.


The steps of the revised lesson would be:
Step 1: Create the mixed color paper. Give each student a piece of thick paper to paint the entire paper with the colors of the color wheel using only the primary colors and having to mix the secondary colors. Set these aside. Wash up.
Step 2: Begin creating the background using crayons or other material to draw a large face portrait with the mouth open and the tongue out to lick the cone. Behind the portrait create clouds or some other imagery.
Step 3: Finish the background drawing. Cut out a triangle cone and add texture to it using a rubbing technique and rubbing plates. Trace and cut the children's hands.
Step 4: Using a tracer, trace and cut 6 scoops of ice cream from the painted papers.
Step 5: Assemble all the elements together.

Primarily this lesson acts as a great review of color-mixing for students who have already learned about colors earlier in the year. Do NOT tell the students how to mix colors. The challenge is for them to remember on their own.

Valentine Hearts Inspired By Stained Glass - Grade 1

The second heart-themed lesson I designed using the simple technique of tissue paper squares applied to white paper to resemble stained glass. I did not try this particular lesson with students yet, however similar lessons (see Flames of the Holy Spirit) have worked well with this age group. The lesson could also be done with kindergarten with no changes made to it.

This lesson uses the same size paper as the Pollock-inspired hearts lesson, which makes it easy to prep for and display if done together. In addition to white paper (3 x 5"), it calls for construction paper (3 x 5"), cut tissue paper, mod podge or elmer's glue, heart tracers, scissors, pencils, and glue to mount the heart frames. Unlike the painting lesson, this one will need more time to dry, especially if using mod podge.

Step 1: Cut out the three frames in the same way as the Pollock-inspired lesson. Set them aside.

Step 2: Collage the tissue paper over the entire surface of the white paper, overlapping colors and allowing no white gaps. Make three papers this way.

Step 3: When the collaged white papers are totally dry, mount the heart frames on top. Then mount these on larger paper.

The final result should look something like this:

Grade 1 - Kandinsky Circles

While subbing in an art room I had the chance to work with a first grade class that was finishing up a lesson on Kandinsky. They had already completed the painted circles (kind of like bull's eye targets at this stage) and were moving on to the addition of oil pastel between the painted circles and filling the squares. Since I encouraged them to take their time using the oil pastel, several did not finish this step. Below is one that did:

Oaxacan Animal Drawings - Kindergarten & Grade 1

I filled in as an art sub for a day at a school that only has kindergarten and first grade students. The art room is located in the basement, so the space and the age of the students does put a few limitations on what can be done. However, despite these things the assignment left was one that introduced the students to Oaxacan animal carvings. This Mexican art is really great for younger students because it focuses on two things that are so fun to teach to this age level -- animals and colorful patterns. First the students got to practice saying Oaxacan (wa-ha-can). Then they viewed images of the carvings, named off tons of unusual animals (this part could have gone on all day), and finally brainstormed types of patterns. The patterns were toughest because while the students understand color patterns (red/blue/red/blue), they had a difficult time embracing shape and design patterns.

With all the preliminary lesson discussion done, the fun could begin. The students began their animal drawings with the prompt to make the animal huge to fill the page before adding a baby animal or background. The drawings are absolutely adorable and very colorful. The students drew their animals themselves using basic shapes as starters, so sometimes it is hard to figure out what animal they were making, but that is part of the charm.

Here are a few results...

First, a few turtles -- which were a popular animal choice:

Next, a unicorn and a baby lion -- there were a few unicorns and even a Pegasus:

Truly, I am not sure what this one is:

And this is an iguana/lizard -- my sample that I did was an iguana, so this inspired a handful of iguana drawings throughout the classes:

Lions made the list of "unusual animals" and were a good trade-off for those students who would have preferred to draw a pet cat -- these two are ferocious:

These bulls were made by two students in different classes and grade levels -- I love how intimidating the top one looks compared to how docile the bottom one appears to be:

And finally, these two birds really take flight with their bright stripes -- other popular bird choices were parrots, penguins, and even Angry Birds:

Grade 1 - Step-by-Step Turkey Drawings

Now, I know that it is a little late for Turkey Day, but I just have to share these super cute turkey drawings that were made by first graders when I was subbing for an art teacher before Thanksgiving. There was no lesson plan left, so I decided to teach the students to draw turkeys and added the possibilities of using patterns on the feathers and using non-traditional turkey colors. This was an impromptu lesson that I had never tried before, but the students really had fun with it and were excited to learn that they could draw turkeys themselves. The results were too cure to not share.

Communion of Saints Puppets Levels K, 1 & 2

Here is the description from the wall label:
Our youngest students were introduced to the lives of the saints in the creation of hand puppets. They carefully chose their puppets’ costumes, hair coloring and accessories. Then with the help of many parents and teachers they used scissors and glue to create unique puppets of many different saints who together form the communion of saints in heaven.

Materials used:

• Pre-made muslin hand puppets
• Fabrics
• Yarn
• Felt
• Wiggle Eyes
• Bead
• Misc. Items
• Elmer's glue
• Hot glue (teacher use)
• Scissors

Watercolor Resist Palms Paintings Levels K & 1

Here is the description from the wall label:

On Palm Sunday, students talked about why we receive palms and then created artwork where they experimented with the magic of watercolor resist. They began by drawing the palms branches with bight green and yellow crayons. Next they painted over their drawings with blue and purple watercolors and learned how wax and water do not mix.

Materials used:

• Crayons (greens & yellows)
• Watercolors (purple & blue)
• Brushes
• Watercolor paper

Fisher's Of Men Bottle Fish Levels K & 1

Here is the description from the wall label:

Jesus invites us to be fisher’s of men, just as He asked this of his apostles. We are all followers of Christ and compelled to share our faith through our words and our actions. In our missionary efforts we spread the word of Christ by talking about our beliefs. The early Christians, under the threat of persecution, did the same thing. However, they had a secret code that allowed them to know if the person to whom they were speaking was a Christian. Knowing that fish reappear in many of the gospels, they adopted the fish as a symbol of their beliefs. When meeting another person they would draw an arc in the dirt. If the other person drew a second arc, completing the fish symbol, then they could speak freely about their faith. Students were introduced to the Christian symbol of the fish in the making of their own fish using primarily recyclable materials.

Materials used:

• Empty water bottles
• Easter basket grass
• Wiggle eyes
• Fun Foam
• Fin & Tail tracers
• Scissors
• Pencils
• Hot glue (teacher use)

In God's Hands Birds Levels K & 1

Here is the description from the wall label:

Students talked about how God cares for all of us and for all creation. We are safe in His hands and that is why we have faith that things will always work out. With this concept in mind, students created their own birds of creation that rest in God’s loving hands. Those who finished early had the opportunity to create lilies using tracings of their own hands. Their fingers became the delicate petals.

Materials used:

• Crayola model magic
• Craft feathers
• Wiggle eyes
• Skin-tone fun foam
• Scissors
• Hand-tracers
• Pencils