Hidden Animal Collage

     We started this project by practicing drawing lines upside down.  We then picked a safari animal from a group of pictures.  We were told to draw the animal upside down on a white sheet of paper with a light blue colored pencil.  We could use any cool color for our drawing, but light blue works the best.  The next step was to take out our warm colored crayons.  We were to make patterns over the safari animal on our paper.  We needed to cover the whole paper and try to hide our animal. 

     Before we started our collage we made safari glasses so that we could see our hidden animals.  Once we finished the collage, we could look through our glasses at our picture to find the hidden safari animal.

An extension activity for this project could be reading a story along with making the collage.  They could also make an ecosystem for the safari animals or draw a map of the country that safari animals live in.

Eric Carle Project

This project was based on Eric Carle’s work.  We had to paint random colors and textures onto paper, then let them dry.  Next we drew story idea onto 12x18 inch paper.  We used that drawing to cut out the shapes of our drawing on the colored paper.  For my story idea, I chose to make an elephant.  The words on my paper are “E is for elephant.”  The only troubles I had were when I needed to use an exacto knife when all I had were scissors.  I also wish I would have cut out my grass before I started my elephant.

For an extension activity, a teacher could have the students make an ecosystem.  They could cut out the colored paper and glue it onto another piece of paper.

Cityscape collage

I really enjoyed the other Starry Night project.  We started by cutting strips, curves or circles of tissue paper.  We used a variety of colors.  Next, we took a sheet of 12 x 18 construction paper (color of your choice) and placed our strips of tissue paper on it.  Then we took a type of paste and “painted” the strips onto the construction paper.  The next step was to cut out some type of city scape from black construction paper.  I chose to cut out a barn and fence line.  After it is cut out you need to glue it onto the other prepared construction paper.  Once everything is dry, use a metallic sharpie or white oil pastel to draw swirls and wavy lines in the background.  Also, draw simple lines one the city scape too.  If I would have made a city scape, I would have drawn windows on it with the sharpie, but since I drew a barn and fence, I just made simple lines on them representing the grain in the wood.

Extension activity: This project could be used with any grades from third to seventh.  The project would just be a little more complex with older grade levels.  If using this project in the science content area, the student could cut out a silhouette of an animal and use that instead of a city scape.  If used in reading, the student could cut out a silhouette of the main part of the story they are reading.

Van Gogh Fingerpainting

The finger-painting project was in reference to Van Gogh’s Starry Night painting.  We were to use bright colors and also use a swirly swipe with our fingers as we painted.  We needed a foreground, middle ground and background.  In my painting, my background was inspired by Van Gogh’s Starry Night.  It was blue with hues of white and black.  There was also yellow color in the background too.  The middle ground was green pasture.  In the foreground I painted a barn.  I painted a barn because I grew up on a farm and I live on a farm now.  I also put people in my painting in the middle ground.  They are supposed to represent my family.

Extension activity:  Finger-painting would be for the lower grade levels.  A teacher could do an extension activity with finger-paints in science.  If you are working on a certain animal or place, the students could paint a picture of the animal or the animals environment.