Nothing is more beautiful than a tree emboldened with crimson and pumpkin colored leaves. In Santa Barbara, we have few trees that display this wonderful show but our imaginations make up for this lack of seasonal change.I was inspired by Kathy's art journal pages from Art Project for Kids and wondered how I could translate this lesson for my second grade class.
I found a perfect line drawing of fall leaves, cut some squares of red, orange, yellow, green (and yes, I'll admit it...) purple and let my students enjoy the color of autumn.
Supplies:
6" x 9" white drawing paper
Tissue paper cut into 5" x 5" squares
Mixture of white glue and water
small paint brush
Black marker (waterproof is best)
Time: One 40-minute class
The Set-up
Step One: Tracing the Leaves
Step Three: Arrange the leaves on the paper and brush
smooth with the glue mixture
Step Three: Arrange the leaves on the paper and brush
smooth with the glue mixture
Step Four: Pick your next leaf and do it again!
Encourage overlapping!
Encourage overlapping!
The Results!
Posts
17 comments:
Just lovely!
Hi there. I am an art teacher from South Africa and was wondering two things about your lessons. Firstly, why do you get your children to trace templates when they learn far more by observing the real thing? For example with your leaf lesson, why didn't you bring real leaves into the classroom for them to observe? Secondly why do you draw a picture onto the board and get your learners to copy the picture? Seems like you end up with everyone's picture being so similar and not much individuality expressed. You could use photographs and let your learners create their own response to the topic?
You have such wonderful ideas, it would be great for everyone reading your blog to take their art teaching to a really meaningful level where children really express their own individuality and creativity. I would really like to hear your response to the above questions as I believe that if you are publishing something for so many educators to read, that you have to have the best teaching practice possible.
Hi Patty!
I love the leaf lesson, I'm a total color junkie and love the bold black lines and layered color effects.
I sent you an email last night from my pink.green.98@verizon.net account and hope it didn't end up in your junk mail folder.
Would love to hear back from you regarding my email and questions when you have a moment to spare.
thanks so much!!
Fondly,
MaryLea (pink and green mama)
Hi Gabby,
Please feel free to interpret the lessons I post any way you wish. The purpose of this blog is not to force parents and teachers to teach art my way, but simple to give them ideas.
Our school district has standards for second grade and cutting and pasting is one of them. There are many ways to teach this skill and this lesson just happened to be the way I chose.
Not sure why you feel it's my responsibility to show all manners of teaching art...perhaps you could start your own blog and share your perspective?
Hi MaryLea,
Yes, I just got your email and I'll definitely respond. I have lots to share!
Feel free to stop by my blog to pick up a blogging award. You deserve it!
www.sandersmemoirs.blogspot.com
I love your leaf project. I wonder if you could clarify some things for me though. Do you give the students individual leaf tracers that they trace on the white paper, or are the leafs already printed on the white paper. It looks like they're all on a piece of white paper, and the students take the tissue paper to trace and cut out and then glue on. I'm wondering how the tissue paper is so close in size and shape to the leaves. Sorry I have so many questions, but I would love to do this with my 2nd graders. Thanks in advance for any further instruction you can give me on this project.
Hi Deuce,
Yes, you're right. The tissue paper is close in size to the leaf prints. I cut them about 5" x 5". I do this so their little hands can manipulate the tissue paper better and also to manage waste.
You can go to the link provided to print out the leaf paper or use any leaf templates you might have.
Also, make sure you mix the glue with water...the consistency is important so that the glue isn't too goopy.
Good luck and let me know how it turns out!
Hi Patty! I'm a first year art teacher and just want to say your blog is really awesome for neat ideas. I've been inspired by your projects and I'm wanting to do the leaf project with my younger grades. I would like to try it on cream colored paper and perhaps, use a gold crayon/marker over some of the black outlines for highlights! Great activity for teaching warm/cool colors too! Thanks a million!
Love the gold crayon idea! Yum!
That is really cool! I love projects that are fall themed. I'll be linking.
I just found your blog and I love it! You have some terrific projects. thanks so much for sharing.
Hello,
Thank you for sharing your great projects.
Pick up your Kreativ Blogger Award at my learning activity site: http://SMMARTideas.blogspot.com
Lisa
Patty thank you for giving us hectic art teacher different ideas. It is our creative choice the way we use them. I really do think we all change them up in our way. Thank you again. A true deep space sparkle fan!
Love it - so gorgeous!
Purple is totally a fall leaf color!!!! When my 5yo son (in his most authoritative voice) listed "PURPLE" while talking about the color of fall leaves in class, his K teacher told him NO! Well, the next day he took in a forsythia leaf and basically said "i told you so:)" (or at least his mom did!)
Momma kate: So funny!
Reminds me of a story when my friend's daughter was a kinder and was asked to draw a picture of her summer. Well, she had just visited my family in Prince Edward island where we have lots of starfish. When she colored her picture of a starfish purple, her teacher said, "Starfish aren't purple!". "Of course they are," she said. "Canada has tons of them!" And we do.
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