Paper Portraits- Details (3-5)

You will need:

• Construction Paper
• Scissors
• Glue

Explain to the students what a portrait is. Also, talk about the differences between portraits and self-portraits. What makes a portrait realistic? What makes a portrait surreal? What are details? Why are they important when creating a portrait?

Have the students create a portrait entirely out of construction paper. Every single detail and feature must be a separate piece of paper. Suggest how to curl hair and eyelashes, make teeth, clothes, etc.

This would also be a good lesson to introduce Picasso and how his famous portraits distort the human face by putting the features in different places.

Crayon Resist- Barriers and Absorption (3-5)

You Will Need the Following:

• Drawing Paper
• Crayons
• Watered-Down Tempra
• Brushes

Instruct the students to press hard on the paper with their crayon. They will need a good layer of wax on their paper to make this project work. Explain to them that the watered down paint will bead up on the crayon, but will be absorbed into the paper. Stress that every place where the paper shows through, will be covered by paint.

This is a great project to experiment with abstract art and geometric design. The more colorful, the better.

Weaving- Opposites and Patterns (K-1)

This is a great project to teach younger students the concept of patterns and "opposites". Opposites are everywhere in weaving. The weaver has to go over and then under in each row, and then do the opposite in the next row.

You Will Need the Following:

• Tag Board
• Yarn
• Strips of Construction Paper

I took a ruler and made a mark at every inch on the short lengths of the tag board. Then I used scissors to cut notches at each mark. Finally, I strung string around the tag board, making sure that it got in each notch.

Here is the front:
Here is the back:

Be sure to knot the yarn before you slide it in the first notch, to keep it from slipping out. Then, after the last notch is filled, tie a slip knot with the tail of the yarn.

I cut the paper into about 1 inch strips. Then, when I passed them out to the students, I told them they needed to make them thinner. This really increased the quality of the work, and allowed the students to make the weaving their own.