Symmetrical Crayon "Batik"

The fourth grade students created these eye catching designs using regular wax crayons. The first step was to find all the lines of symmetry for their square and fold the paper along each line. They then drew a simple design in one of the eight "slices" of their square created by the folds. After the design was done, they folded it along ONE of the lines of symmetry, and rubbed the back of the paper with a hard object (we used the handle of our scissors) to transfer the wax to the facing slice of paper. We then repeated the tracing-folding-rubbing sequence until the whole square was full. The students chose 4-5 colors of crayons to color their design. Once finished, we crumpled up the paper to create cracks in the wax. They then brushed thin black paint over the design and wiped it clean with a damp paper towel. The result looks and even feels like fabric!

Midnight at the Pumpkin Patch

I loved this lesson from Fine Lines so much, I wanted to try out a simpler version for my second graders. We used pencil and eraser to draw pumpkins, using the sizes to show distance in our picture. We colored them with oil pastel and used value to make them look three-dimensional and round. The pumpkins look like they are glowing in the moonlight!

Spooky Spiders

I know, it's almost Thanksgiving. But these adorable spiders have been hanging in the hallway for a while, and it's time for them come down. The kindergarten students created these funny little creatures, starting with a line drawing to create a spider web. We then dipped a koosh ball in black paint and stamped it onto our web. Koosh balls are super fun painting supplies! I found ours in the dollar spot at Target, and we use them for lots of different things. They were just perfect for making a hairy spider body. We then cut strips of paper to make legs, making sure we counted to eight to make the right amount. The final touch was making eyes with a cotton swab and white paint. I love their personalities!