Third Grade Tissue Paper Collage

This project was a lot of fun. The kids really enjoyed it and so did I. The idea came from another collage project I was doing with the 4th graders. I love tropical fish scenes and this idea was both a fun and easy way to create a simple

underwater scene.

Starting with a white piece of paper, I had the students glue down different pieces of tissue paper (about the size of a dime - little torn pieces) at the bottom of the paper. They glued various colored pieces of tissue down to resemble the colorful coral. Then we covered that with a long strip of brown to represent the bottom. Doing this again, I'd add the colorful coral on the top of the brown and maybe even experiment with extending it above the top of the brown layer. We then added several strips of green tissue on both sides. Our pictures were ready for the fish.

One could go through magazines and find pictures of fish but it would be hit and miss. So I created two sheets of fish pictures, one with fish swimming to the left and one to the right. The students were instructed to draw (not trace-though some did just that) three fish, two going in one direction, one in the other. We talked about where to place the fish and I suggested the open space in the middle of their project. When the fish were drawn and colored properly, the students cut them out and then glued them onto their projects. We were ready for the final piece.

I cut large pieces of blue tissue paper out so that each piece would fit over the entire picture. The students prepared the surface of their work by brushing glue over all the white area first, the brown next, over the tops of the fish, and finally the green seaweed last (as it bled the worst). The blue was placed over the picture, patted down (I did this part) and students applied another coat of glue over the whole thing. After the projects dried I cut them to about 11 x 8 so that all the edges were smooth (and they could fit on a 9x12 mounting). I trimmed the projects using paper cutter for a nice straight cut. At first I left a few kids do the trimming with scissors but their edges were so jagged I had to re-cut them myself. So I ended up doing it all. I know, a lot of work but I did it here and there while the kids worked on other things and honestly it went fast. The finished look made the extra work pay off. Finally, I have the kids glue their work onto a 9x12 black piece of construction paper. I had them use regular school glue (not stick glue) and then hold down the picture while slowly saying their ABC's.

The tissue gluing process was simple. I mixed 1/2 water with 1/2 glue and mixed it up well. I put those in paint cups, and the kids used that glue mixture for all their gluing in this project (except for the gluing of the project to the black paper, that was full strength glue).

This was a whole group project with the purpose of giving the kids another example of how to make a collage and hopefully to inspire them to try to make other collage pictures on their own.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Here are a couple of links of interest. I was trying to decide if this project fell under the definition of a decoupage. I think it better fits the collage definition. Here's some information that you might find helpful.

http://painting.about.com/b/2010/03/25/difference-collage-and-decoupage.htm

I stumbled on this wonderful site and thought I'd share.

http://www.bonnielanz.com/?cat=8

2nd grade Winter Collage Pictures

I have mentioned elsewhere on this blog that I thoroughly enjoy  Donna Hugh's art videos.   This idea is from one of her videos on collage.   On a large black paper, students cut out various rectangle/square colored construction paper.  They created the triangle tops from scraps.   


The polyfill came from an old costume I had,  I had planned on throwing it out but knew the polyfill would come in handy sooner or later.   I mixed glitter in with a small amount of glue, put it in a small tub, and it was applied using a paint brush (I used gold but think silver would have been better).  Here are a few more examples of kids works.

 Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.  ~Henry Ward Beecher

1st grade collage

Here it is.  Spring Break.  Where does the time go? 

In the past two weeks I've been completely reorganizing all my pictures.  I had them scattered everywhere.  It's still a mess but I managed to find and organize my collage pictures.  I need to quit making piles of "stuff" to do later.  Am I the only one with this problem? ;)

The reason for choosing this collage project was, for the most part, in answer to an overall lack of interest at the collage center.   I needed to come up with five different ideas for collage project number two. This project was chosen in part to show the teachers how they could incorporate art activities into their classrooms (in this case an extension to a first grade science lesson).  The 1st graders were learning about liquids and solids.  The project was rather simple.  Using a large black paper, the student cut out a large blue raindrop (traced from a template).  The orance block was already cut for them.  On the raindrop, they glued on "Liquid Things" and on the orange "Solid Things."  I provided blue yarn (to represent raindrops) and then a variety of solid things for the solid side.   The students searched in different magazines for two solid and two liquid pictures.  Easier said than done. 

I hadn't expected the first graders to have so much difficulty finding liquid things.  I ended up finding and cutting most of the pictures out at home and just had them concentrate on arranging the materials (find the solids was much easier).  Still, they turned out nicely.  Several teachers have posted the collages outside their room and one teacher even gave her students extra time to add a few more things (filling the collage out a bit more).   It's not necessairly the most creative collage, but it does give the kiddies an experience on how to make a collage, how to glue object onto a piece of paper, and some experience cutting picture out from a magazine (not an easy task for a first grader). I modeled how to arrange things on their paper and to use their space properly (and not glue things all in one area leaving other areas blank).    Here are a few more examples.  Next up I'll share the second grade Snowy Village Collage (a project I learned from a Donna Hugh video). 

Up, Up, and Away

5th grade THEME collage

The last of the collage projects are finished.  We've had a few interruptions along the way but finally the whole group collage art is completed.  I've rearranged the room back to the centers the kids love so much.  It was nice to do a whole group project too as I still love teaching that way but centers has its many advantages.

When I began this process of teaching the kids about collage, it was in response to the lack of interest in the collage center.  Now that the collage center is open, I'm pretty happy with the number of students that are going to the collage center each day.  The modeling clay center is still number one with most of the groups but I have a couple of dozen individual collage projects that are either in process or completed. 

I hope to get the grade level collages posted soon.  I've been busy with music (I teach guitar and play in a band and am in the middle of recording some guitar parts for a friend's CD).  My new scanner (just purchased!) is up and running and all artwork is now scanned.  So stay tuned.

I'll say this about collage:  It's much more fun than I anticipated.  I'm like a little kid again.  There are so many variations of collage art (so many scraps, so little time) I just want to do them all! 

Happy Creating!

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up. ~Pablo Picasso

A funny thing happened on the way to the Collage Center - No one showed up!

I've been teaching a modified version of TAB (Teaching Artistic Behavior) for a year now.  It's a choice based approach to teaching art.  In my classroom I usually have 5 different centers (also called Studios) and students can pick where they want to go and what they want to do.  One recent center I tried out was the collage center.  It wasn't a hit.  In fact, of all the grade levels I teach (1-5) only a few students chose that center.  It was time for some whole group instruction.

I have to admit, I'm a huge fan of TAB.  But I also enjoy whole group activities (though they can be far more work sometimes).  So I began looking for some lessons on collage art that I could use to get kids turned on to creating art this way. 

I own all of Donna Hugh's videos (put out by Coyote Creek Productions).  Some of you may think the products are a bit pricey but I think they are well worth it.  They have helped me immensely throughout the years of teaching art.  It's just one of many resources I've used.

The idea for my whole group collage lesson came from Donna's "Collage Art For Kids" DVD (vol I).  I adapted lesson 2 on the DVD and used it with all grade levels.  The lesson was a vehicle to introduce collage, learn what it is, and to learn some of the techniques artists use when creating a collage.  I also want to teach the students how to work independently in the college center.  I am hoping the experiences they will have over the next few weeks will create more interest and excitement in the center.

For this collage project, we started with strips of torn construction paper.  Those were glued on a piece of black construction paper. 

The next step was to add the details.  I made available beans, buttons, beads, yarn, tissue paper, crape paper, pieces of wood, and anything else I could find.






 I provided examples and demonstrated (using my document camera) some ideas they could employ in their artwork.  Then I let them play.  Once again I'm pleasantly surprised. I'll probably post the finished collages in a few weeks (after I've managed to snap pictures of them).

 Here are a few more pictures of the set up.  I'll have more in my next post.   

 

I'm currently working on individual collage projects for 1st through 5th.  So far there is a desert scene with mountains in the background (using tissue paper) and underwater scene (tissue paper) and a theme collage (magazine pictures and misc objects).  I have a few more ideas rolling around in the back of my head just waiting to get out.

Have a great week.

 

Happy New Year

I hope everyone had a great Christmas Holiday season.  I spent the two weeks off being sick.  My annual sinus infection.  I managed to get some things done around the house but had very little energy for much of anything. 

Of course my goal was to do some posting of lessons I've tried in the past but I had no brain for writing.  I did manage to sleep a lot.  :) 

In the next few weeks I'll be sharing some thoughts on collage, how I'm teaching it in the classroom, what we are doing exactly, and how things are turning out.  Today is my first day with a series of lessons on collage and after the first two groups (4th and 5th grades) I'm am pleasantly surprised. 

In the meantime, have a great 2011. 

Oh yeah, is it a teacher thing or what but my body manage to get well enough to return to school today.  Why is that?  Did it know it was OK to be sick during break but needed to be well enough by Jan 3?  It's done this to me before.  I'll bet I'm not the only one that has this experience.

;)

Kids and Clay

  What is it about kids and clay (especially boys)? That seems to be the most popular center I have (that and painting). Just when I think I've seen it all, I get a surprise.

The boys love to pound the clay. I've had to set some parameters so that I actually get some of the boys to use the time to actually produce something other than a squished ball. So I bought some dowels, cut them to about 18 inches, and have taught the kids how to use them as rollers.

Then I instituted a no pounding rule and taught them how to knead the clay (like dough). Then I worked with them a few times and got them set off in the right direction. I also set up a display table so that kids could display their work (with the understanding that it might not be there the following week as others needed to use the clay). The image on the left is a small try. I have since made available an extra table I was using for something else (of less importance). Kids love to see their work displayed (even if for only a day or so).

One of my first surprises was this rose. The 4th grade girl had learned this at home. I love it when this happens.

The picture to the left (with the little girl smiling in the pic) is another of those great surprises.  Wearing that big smile, she eagerly showed me her clay project.  "It's a snail on ice skates!"   Is that cool or what.



Here are a few more creative ideas from students.  I love the Michelin Man!



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