Adire Eleko Cloth

So I'm on a roll! I found another sweet project that can be left for a sub or used as a one day project. I found in it this book. Click here to find it on Amazon. This book by Denise Logan is filled with fabulous projects for children!

The project I picked  is titled Adire Eleko Cloth with Senufo Mud Cloth Animals.

 

 

I gave students a little background information about the history of this African Art.

 

They used a blue marker and a white oil pastel.

I did do a simple resist with the white pastel and watered down blue tempera to help make the connection. Then I totally disappointed them because they would be doing a short cut version with blue paper.  However, I'm thinking I'll do it with fabric and turn it into a sewing project next year......

 

 

The author included a page of pattern ideas that I photocopied and gave out for reference.

There was also an animal insert that is done on white paper with blue marker that gets glued on top, in the middle of the paper.  Totally forgot about it......

Basically, I gave some background, did a quick demo of resist. Showed them we were taking a short cut and starting out with blue paper. We could use the patterned ideas or create our own and they could only use blue marker and white oil pastel. I have tried this with white crayon & colored pencils and the oil pastel works the best.

 

We are near the end of the school year and some students needed to finish up other projects and some students that were done needed to start something new. I did this with 2nd grade this week and may do a different grade level next week. With just 3 weeks left and one week wasted with End of Course Exams there isn't much time left.......

Thanks for Reading!!

Symmetry

According to the curriculum guide I am attempting to follow, 2nd and 4th graders are required to learn symmetry. What really excited me with this lesson was I got to incorporate the iPads I received from a grant that I wrote. Click here for details.

I started the lesson with my students on the carpet and introduced the app Kaleido Free. There are different options for making art with lines of symmetry, from one line to 4 lines. My plan was to do kaleidoscope art with 2 lines of symmetry for 2nd grade and 4 lines with 4th grade.

 

 

I also let them look through actual kaleidoscopes that I bought years ago at Oriental Trading.

Before we started our project I wanted students to understand the basics of tracing and transferring their designs so I used these coloring sheets from Art for Kids to scaffold.

   

They taped tracing paper (which they were very excited to be able to see through) over the insect, traced it and then flipped over the tracing paper and transferred the lines to the other half of the paper.

For 2nd grade each student received the following: a 4 1/2" square piece of tracing paper a 4 1/2" square and a 9" square of white drawing paper.

 

They made their design on the 4 1/2" square paper, traced over the design with the tracing paper and then transferred it to the 9" square 4 times. Basically- draw design, trace design, flip over design (so that the pencil marks made are facing down on the paper) and retrace. Continue to flip and trace around the paper. Students painted to complete their kaleidoscopes.

 

As I did this project with students a few things occurred to me. Some of them were having trouble understanding the concept, some did very complicated designs which were taking a long time AND suddenly I didn't want all the art from all the groups to be the same. So I changed out the lesson for a few classes. I even managed to eliminate a step. Students folded their paper in half, did the design on one side. Then they traced it, flipped it and transferred it to the other side.

My 2nd graders did suns inspired by this book by Denise Logan.

 

   

 

 

And my 4th graders did African masks from this book, also by Denise Logan.

 

I have done many of the lessons from both books, they are well worth the money.

 

   

My 4th graders still need to finish because I just had to throw in a fun Christmas activity. I will share that in another post!

That's all for now, thanks for reading!!