My middle schoolers love optical illusions. Every year, students request an optical illusion project. Here are a few of my favorites:

​Op Art Ornaments
Optical Illusion Heart/Sphere in Chalk
Optical Illusion Sketchbook Covers
​
For a while, I have wanted to figure out a way to select an optical illusion project that is engaging for all ability levels. At first, I made a smore flyer and allowed my students to choose an optical illusion that they wanted to create from the examples I had provided links to. This did not work well because some students chose things that were too time consuming, or too hard even for me to figure out, OR to easy and not time consuming enough and they finished in one day while everyone else needed weeks. Also, since we had the ipads out, I didn't want to use oil pastels so we were limited to colored pencils or markers. 

For the examples linked above, everyone basically followed the exact same steps. So there wasn't much variety. When my librarian ordered Optical Illusions (How to Art Doodle) by Carolyn Scrace book, I decided that this year, I would make students choose between 3 designs from the book. All 3 were similar in difficulty level and everyone would make a 12X12 oil pastel design. (I was on a 12X12 design kick this year...students did like 6 projects with 12X12 paper!)

The book has rather low reviews on amazon.com, but I found it very helpful in showing my students the steps and giving them ideas. 

This project was really successful as it gave us the opportunity to talk about quality, and I could show examples of really good quality and not so good quality.....but it isn't a lesson that I want to tackle again anytime soon and I am trying to figure out why.....because the results were stunning. 

Day 1
We looked at some examples of optical illusions and talked about various optical illusion artists. I share a slideshow with examples by Bridget Riley and M.C. Escher and students are happy to see some familiar images they have seen before. I have one copy of the scholastic magazine about optical illusions which has a ton of great info about Bridget Riley, which is what I basically summarize for my students. When I start a new big unit like this, I always have tons of visuals around the room that students can use for inspiration. I would love to find an optical illusion calendar to cut apart because printing stuff on a color printer just isn't as vibrant. 

Youtube video list of optical illusion videos. 
10 Amazing Optical Illusions---I usually show this the 1st day

Students looked at the examples they could choose from and started practicing in their sketchbooks. 

Supplies:
Sketchbooks
pencils
erasers
circle templates
​rulers

Day 2
Once students had a small thumbnail sketch of their idea (and many realized it was harder than it looked), we started drawing in pencil on 12X12 white paper. I took some time to demonstrate how to use a ruler to make lines across the paper and then how to make a grid. I also did a few mini demo's on how to make some of the illusions a little easier. Students used oil pastels to start coloring their designs. I highly stressed that they should save black for last, as it smears badly and they should be careful with very light colors and white, as those get dirty easy. I discouraged them from using traditional checkerboard black and white because black is just so messy that I knew the white would get ruined on many of their projects.

Supplies:
Rulers
circle templates
12X12 white paper
oil pastels (no black)
​cover sheets for tables

Day 3
Those checkerboard designs were getting very tedious....even though it is argubly the easiest one to draw, it is pretty hard to color and it is hard to fix mistakes so kids have to be very careful not to mess up their pattern. I showed students how to add black and blend it to make their illusion pop just a little more. I showed examples of good quality and not so good quality and encouraged kids to work towards getting a '3' on their project. We also discussed craftsmanship and scribbling. With oil pastels, you have to color pretty firmly to get good coverage. 

This is the video I showed every class to demonstrate the blending. It isn't the greatest video, but I made 6X6 mini versions of the projects so I could demonstrate the blending technique quickly. I didn't want to have to make a sample for every class, so the video was very helpful!

Supplies
​Cover sheets
oil pastels plus black
pencils
​

Day 4
Okay, today many kids were already done or close to being done with their optical illusions. I had a bunch of 6X6 paper ready and I showed them the 'ol oil pastel firework trick with an  eraser. They loved it! Thanks art of ed!

Supplies
Oil pastels
Old erasers (we used hard rubber erasers)
cover sheets
6X6 squares

Okay so this project had variety, quality control, a bonus free time extra fun project for early finishers, high level of critical thinking, ruler skills training, and a medium-level-mess-factor.

It wasn't the messiest thing, but it wasn't super clean and boring either.

Why am I not excited to teach this unit the same way again the same way?

Some students did not like the limited options.....they were annoyed that I didn't have MORE variety. Okay, I get that. But as it was, I still had to start each day with instructions specific to each design and tips that would help individual students. If a student had a good idea, I was open to letting them give it a shot. 

While the results of the project are visually very beautiful, I will have to think long and about what I would do differently in the future. 

One of my professional development goals this year is to focus on critical thinking and how I implement it into student learning. I feel like most art projects require tons of critical thinking. Even if there is  an existing 'recipe' like in this project, there is still tons of room for error and each product is different depending on how students used the materials, techniques and executed the process. By giving students tons of opportunities to make decisions about their finished product, they were using critical thinking. This isn't one of those cookie cutter projects where everyone's ended up looking basically the same, there is tons of variety and room for interpretation. 

MDQ 1.1 The teacher provides a clearly stated learning goal accompanied by a scale or rubric that describes levels of performance relative to the learning goal

In order to grade this project, I posted a visual 'rubric'. I pointed to the examples that would be considered a '3' and would meet all of the requirements for the objective. Then, we discussed what a '2' and a '1' would look like. The examples of each are in the photo below. It helped some students to see where they could improve their design even if they said it was done, many students were able to set a goal for improvement. 

Since Llamas and Alpacas are all the rage this year, I knew I wanted to feature them in an animal art unit. Our library did not have very many books about Llamas, so if you want to make a buck, you might consider illustrating something for ages 10-13. 

To introduce the difference between Llamas and Alpacas, we watched youtube video by an alpaca farmer. The video has a curse word at the end, she says that llamas sometimes spit for the 'hell of it'.  It was one of the few resources I could find with great images so I just muted it when she said that and asked a few questions of my students like: have you ever petted an alpaca or a llama? etc. If you did not want to use the video, you could show this site which has tons of facts and photos of Llamas. 

For the actual art making, we did a few practice sketches in our sketchbook after decided if we wanted to draw an alpaca or a llama. Most kids agreed that alpacas are cuter than llamas. We lightly sketched our design on 18X6 watercolor paper and traced in sharpie. I always have my students color small details with crayons before we use watercolor paints. We used liquid watercolor for this project AND regular watercolor if they wanted it for the black and brown. I also showed them how to make tan and grey, using the lid of the watercolor set as a mixing tray. 

Several of my students drew their llamas with buck-teeth. After doing a little research, we learned that they don't have front teeth on the top, it is the bottom teeth that jut forward. Just FYI. 

Supplies:
18X6 Watercolor paper
8 pan prang watercolor sets
Paint brushes- a variety of sizes
Liquid Watercolors
Sargent 6 Ct. Paint storage tray
Water
Pencils
Sharpies
120 crayon sets

 While it was a little challenging to teach ORIGAMI folds at the end of the day on a Friday (the Friday at the end of the first full week is hard for kids and teachers because we are all just done by the end of the day). Once the kids got back from the weekend, they were much more able to grasp the basic folds.

First, I used the Power Point from Art with Mrs. Nguyen to help explain the difference between RADIAL Symmetry and Linear Symmetry which has only one line of symmetry, like a butterfly. Then, we used her youtube video (and I demonstrated while holding up a 12X12 piece of paper) how to fold each of the 3 folds that are used in the Powerpoint: hat fold, kite fold, and samuri fold. Students practiced with 6X6 squares of newsprint.

I polled the class to see who was an 'expert' who had done a little origami and who was a complete newbie. Since I have never taught any origami folding to my students, many of them were complete newbies. I explained that the three folds we were practicing would help them to create many basic origami things using the books later---but if learning the process by watching me felt hard---don't despair because I actually think it is easier to use the books (I pointed to a bunch of books that I checked out from the library) because they have photos of each step and arrows that show which direction to fold the paper. Also, if they couldn't see how to fold the paper, they could always ask an expert sitting nearby and that might help too!

Some kids got the folds right away, while others really struggled. I think I even had a few kids cry....I hate crying the first week...it sets a bad tone for the rest of the year. I told them that as a teacher, I think origami is hard to teach---it is like tying your shoe, until you 'get' it, it is so hard, but once you get it, it is much easier and you can do it without even thinking. For students, this is really challenging, and frustrating and eventually, they can get it, but it takes practice. 

After practicing the basic folds with the newsprint, I gave everyone a 12X12 black square and had them fold it in half both ways like a card and diagonally both ways (like the beginning of the samurai), to show all the lines of symmetry so that they could start to plan out their designs. Then we wrote our names on the back. 

Students had about 5-8 minutes to start their designs, many of them chose to glue some flat pieces to the background to get it started. I gave them a big tub of 2X2 squares, a mixture of neon origami paper cut down, scrap construction paper and other scrap paper. This is the tough part about this project....you need a LOT of 2X2 paper. I had actually started cutting the squares last year in anticipation of the project and probably spent a good 3 hours cutting more throughout the week so that students would have enough of each color to make their designs balanced. In the TpT lesson plan I bought, she used 3X3 squares, which would probably go a lot farther---we used the smaller ones so it took a little more for each design. 

We used glue sticks to glue the paper down. 

***NOTE: I have taught this lesson in the past in one day....I did not teach the origami folds and I did not use a powerpoint. We focused more on making it balanced with the colors and we used really simple 3D shapes. When I handed out the background paper, I had pre-folded it into 4 even quadrants and I told them to make it balanced---whatever you do in one quadrant, you do in all the quadrants. Sort of like a quilt square. Students were highly successful---but it was a ONE DAY lesson.....I let them take it home the same day and I did not grade it. Here is a blog post with examples (I can't find my images anywhere)

​I reviewed the folds quickly by pointing out the big 12X12 versions I had tacked to the whiteboard. I also printed out the handouts that came with the TpT lesson---and had those available for students to refer to if they forgot one of the folds. I gave them the entire day to work on creating a symmetrical design. I showed them a couple of examples as a reminder that the design had to be balanced and it had to be 3D. I also mentioned that they could use other types of folds to make it 3-D, not just the ones that I taught them.

Since these had to be put in the drying wrack, I encouraged them not to make them too tall as things could get ripped off pretty easily. Also, students needed to give their designs the SHAKE test. Pick it up and shake it to make sure nothing falls off before taking it to the drying wrack. 

If students could not find the right paper color to finish their design, they were allowed to go to other tables, but they were not allowed to fight over the paper (I had paper wars in a couple of classes with kids hoarding the neons and not sharing) and they weren't allowed to go to another table just to talk to a friend, they could only grab what they needed and get back to their spot. They liked the freedom and independence to move around the room! I would rather them get the right colors than just glue random stuff down in order to hurry and be done quickly. 

Early finishers were allowed to help a friend or try out the origami books. I always have origami for early finishers, but I hope that by showing them a few basic moves, they will be more willing to try it on their own as they will have a little confidence and some background knowledge. I explained the difference between the practice newsprint paper and the REAL origami paper--mine is white on the back---and it can be very expensive so don't waste it!! 

I noticed lots of kids naturally spinning their big 12X12 papers and noticing the optical illusion effects. Certain colors and the neon papers on the black background were tricking their eyes in really neat ways. 

​Day 3
Most kids were ready to put the finishing touches on their designs---some needed an entire third day for the project, while others just needed a minute or two to finish or fix pieces that had fallen off. This was the day I mentioned that I would be sending them home at the end---rather than stuff them back into the drying wrack and wait for me to grade them, I was worried they would fall apart if they were all stuffed into my cabinet over Labor Day, it would be better for them to take them the same day. I explained the grading---if the design was balanced and used all three of the folds I taught them they get a 3, if it isn't balanced or they don't use any 3D paper techniques it is a 2 or 1. Most kids got a 3, but a few got a 2.5 or a 2 if they didn't use any of the folds I taught them.

I also explained how I pick artwork for my art displays. I pick a few from each class for each project and hang a big display in the cafeteria. I try to pick something from every student between now and Christmas. And if I pick theirs, they get it back later. Everyone else gets to take theirs home today. I told them please don't have their feelings hurt if I don't pick theirs this time, I can't pick them all, sometimes I already have another design similar to the one they made and I have to pass over theirs.

Okay, I really didn't want to start a whole new project for the ones that were done, but in most classes, about half were completely done or only needed 5-10 minutes. So, I made 6X6 black squares so the kids could use their origami and design balancing skills to make a MINI radial spinner to take home. Very first class, a kid asked, "do we HAVE to make one?" YES!! You have to make one if you finish with the big one. The big one is graded, so it is a priority, I need it first. The same kid was the one that exclaimed, 'THIS IS AWESOME!" about his mini spinner. 

To make the mini spinner, you fold it in half like a card both ways and diagonally both ways, just like we did the big one and the samurai fold. Don't forget to fold it, because a couple of kids forgot and theirs would not spin without the center point on the bottom from the folds, it is like the point on a top, it helps it spin. Also, if anyone had trouble with their spinning, it was because they had glued paper on the bottom of the design and it was like a brake---it created too much drag and theirs would not spin.

After folding the black paper, use the origami folds to make it balanced and symmetrical. I gave them a mini lesson about the color wheel. Opposites like blue-orange, red-green, and purple-yellow (also pink+green) give off a more powerful visual effect when spinning, if you put them side-by-side on your design. Also, if you use white paper (with the black background), it is the opposite of black and it looks really cool. A girl used orange on black and we could see a blue dot that wasn't actually there! When the designs spin, you see shapes that aren't actually there. Our next project will be an optical illusion, so this is a great intro!

Students loved making the spinners. IF they had time, they could even make two! 4 samauri folds in the middle made a great handle. When they were finished, they spent time practicing their spinning on the floor or the table. The fidget-spinner obsessed kids were in heaven. Let's be honest, the neon paper looked amazing...I wish I would've had a blacklight because it practically glowed in the dark. Next time I do this project, I will definitely bring a blacklight and buy a LOT more neon paper. 

Update: I had a 500 pack of FLUORESCENT ORIGAMI paper from School Specialty. I cut it down to 2X2 so it would stretch amongst all of my students for this project. It is kind of expensive but really, really vibrant.

A few months ago, Paper Scissor Cake posted on their instagram a few pictures of a hand lettered sign workshop they were working on. Immediately I realized how important it is to incorporate hand lettering into my curriculum to help support cursive writing. 

For this project, we used tag board, which I was not entirely impressed with....I wish we would've used real watercolor paper. We also used watercolor---both the regular sets and liquid neon watercolor. I had to explain that students had to be very careful not to let the neon colors mix in the container. Since half of my students started this lesson when I took my personal day in March, I typed up a very extensive sub plan to help them get started with the lesson. I also had tons of visuals posted around the room for ideas, lettering guides and font alphabets. They could choose any uplifting quote (we had recently lost a staff member), and should keep in mind that these would be posted around the building in time for MAP testing 

Here is what I left for my sub:
​Step 1: Choosing A Quote to Illustrate
 

1. Today students will be selecting a quote to illustrate.  
2. Students may use a quote posted on the board, or they may use one of their own quotes as long as it is school appropriate.
3. Later we will be incorporating the quote and the writing into a watercolor illustration, today is all about practicing the lettering and selecting something that they might want to use for the project.
4. This project is about selecting something that is personal, uplifting, encouraging and meaningful to them. Spelling is important!!
5. As they think about which quote to use, they should consider what colors and imagery might correspond to help illustrate their idea. How they write it is just as important as what they write.

 
 
Step 2: Hand lettering Practice (and drawing symbols)

1. As most students have never learned cursive writing, this might be challenging for them, but when I get back next week, I will teach them a few techniques and we will use some special pens, which will help with the writing.
2. Today, we are using mechanical pencils for the first time. This might help them draw lightly.
3. Today, students should use the grid paper to help them practice the letters and phrases. I have posted a plethora or really cool lettering they can use. They can practice as much as they want, practice makes perfect!
4.  They can pick any kind of writing that they want to go with their quote.
5. I don’t mind if they use more than one paper, but they should not throw away the paper until most of it is covered with ideas (sometimes kids make one mark and then toss it, which is wasteful). I put out TWO types of grid paper, one has smaller boxes, they can use either one.
6. Students should roughly sketch out their phrase or quote in pencil on the grid paper a 3-4 of times. (see my example)
7. They should look at how it is placed and think about what words should be emphasized.
8. They should then use markers (the chisel tip markers work great) to draw over the top of their quote, the pencil should be done lightly so that the marker will cover it. The grid paper should help them to place the words and space out the letters.
9. Students should also think about images and symbols that could be used to illustrate their quote. They may want to add a frame or a design around the quote. This should be practiced today.
10. Names should be on the practice papers.

 
Step 3: DRAWING BIG

1. If students finish their practice paper, they can VERY LIGHTLY section off the 12X18 manilla paper into a grid using 3 lines. One line should be at the 4”, 8” and 12” mark on the page (see my example).
2. Students may need help using the ruler to measure and make the marks on the manila paper. The longest rulers work best as they are 18” long.
3. These guidelines will help them draw the lettering much bigger.
4. Once they have the guidelines, they should write their lettering and draw their symbols in pencil very lightly on the paper.
5. They can also trace over the lettering with marker. IF they majorly mess up, they can always flip it to the back and try again.
6. Names should be on the paper, if they do not finish with this step today, it is okay! We will save for next week.
7. Early finishers can look at books, free draw, do a coloring sheet or work on the Notan Mural on the south end of the room.

 
 
At the end of each class, pass out the wooden clothes pin for each table, and have students clip their papers into the clip to keep them organized for next time.  
At the end of the day, please have the last class put the chairs up. 

 Once students had practiced on the manila paper, they were to show their 'sloppy copy' to me, and then I would give them the white tagboard. This was a great chance for me to notice misspelled words or give them advice on placement before the real thing. It is a little harder to erase on the white tagboard. If a student was absent on the first day, this was a good day for them to catch up. 

They were supposed to draw/write it in pencil and then trace in black marker.

The very last day, we painted the tagboard. I showed this (kind of long) video that I made to each class before painting. 

I always show how students should color small details very hard with a crayon (and how they can draw with white) and it will show up even if they paint over it. 

Every time I do this project, I am a little disappointed with the results.

Students can learn a lot about perspective, texture, color and drawing by selecting a magazine image and attempting to draw the other half. For this project, they had to choose an image that was a half page or full page, and then I used my paper cutter to cut it in half.

They saved the other half with a paper clip clipped to their drawing paper and used a glue stick to attach the main half to their paper. They always have trouble 'finishing' the drawing so that it fills up the page. 

After lightly sketching out the rest of the image and adding other things to fill up the paper, we used colored pencils to color, attempting to match the colors as closely as possible by layering. This colored pencil technique video was very helpful in explaining how to layer color. 

Thank goodness for Art Hub for kids to help me plan the last day or so when only a few classes had a final day of art and needed to make something that they could take home the same day. This how to draw baby groot video, was very fun and cute! It was also perfect because Guardians of the Galaxy just came out and many of my students have already seen it. 

I always encourage my kiddos to sketch lightly in pencil first, and then use a sharpie to outline the good lines they want to keep, and erase old pencil lines. It adds a few minutes to the finished product but I think it is worth the time. We used colored pencils to color and shade. 

While students finished coloring and some added a background, I played a few end of the year videos from my youtube 'end of the year' playlist. I also really like the animation Planets on Vimeo, but I always stop it before the 12th planet as the last song isn't age appropriate, the rest of the video is pretty engaging. 

While gone for a field trip in May, I needed a fun sub plan for my students. This project took about 30 minutes, so luckily I had a Mother's Day card/coloring sheet available for early finishers. A few kids wanted to make more than one. 

I had markers and white paper, but I also had a LOT of extra black and colored 6X12 paper so I had construction paper crayons and colored pencils available. I encouraged students to sketch idea lightly in pencil and then outline in sharpie so they did not waste paper. Got the idea for this project here. 

I love the 4 piece band by one of my 6th graders, very creative. This was a great end-of-the year project as students could take it home the same day, and it is very cute! 

When planning for this project, I scoured the internet for a tried and true lesson plan and template to follow.

What should students do first?

What is the most important students needed to know when working with hot glue and cardboard? 

A lesson plan like that just doesn't exist.

I had to start from ground zero with this project.
While I did use a few things I found online to help with the planning, for the most part, this is an original project. 

PipdoArt has a few great african mask pictures on instagram. Creatively Hamish is currently creating steampunk superhero helmets that are absolutely incredible.

It was artroomadventures who mentioned the artist AJ Fosik.
Bingo.
That was the most perfect artist to reference for this project, and her 7th and 8th graders have some amazing masks on her instagram feed.

​ It was exactly what I needed to inspire the project to move forward in a way that would make sense and be relevant for my young artists. 

Day 1
We began the unit by looking at the artwork of AJ Fosik. First, I showed my 5th and 6th graders an artist profile video on VIMEO. Then I made a slideshow of pictures of his work. We talked about 3D and how that is different than drawing.

I explained that students would be creating a mask sculpture that could be inspired by folk art, mythical creatures, or animals. I showed them a couple of examples of masks and folk art artifacts that I have on my shelves (a totem pole, a couple of oaxaca animals, African and Maori masks). I used a Chinese Dragon as a reference for my example. I had tons of Zoo Book Magazines that students could use as references. 

​I explained that folk art means that is usually hand made and only found in certain regions, usually created by tribes of people.

Then students had time to begin planning their masks.

I encouraged them to separate their sketchbook page into 4 sections, and draw 3-4 ideas and select the BEST idea for the project.

They should think about creating their masks symmetrically and then color the one they plan to use.  

Day 2
(Once students have had a chance to draw) Today we talked about symmetry and using cardboard to create their masks. I explained that they might want to consider making the 'eye hole' for the mask where the mouth is, like on a mascot or a costume, so that it can be bigger than a humans head and extend above their own head....also, it is much easier to cut one hole behind the mouth than to cut two identical eye holes. Most students listened to this advice. 

Today, students used thin newsprint to create a symmetrical template for their mask. They had to fold the paper in half, and draw half of the mask along the fold. It helped that they had recently done this on a previous project! 

Once they had made the template, I was waiting for them at the cardboard store. I had them show me their template and I helped them find a big piece of cardboard that would be a good fit. Then they took the template and cardboard back to their seat and traced it and began cutting it out. This is the hardest part, cutting out the big base of the sculpture, especially if they made it very spikey or furry (like my example). I had big 'adult' scissors available for this step because it was hard to cut the cardboard for some of them. 

If they finished that, they were to put their name on the back, and they could use the mini glue guns and small cardboard to begin making things on their mask. I told them that I would share some techniques next time if they aren't sure how to start, not to worry! 

​ Day 3
Learn basics of making the mask 3-D, add details.

This was a great day for my principal to observe me! I had created a DIY video, in which I show the basics of how to make some things on the mask 3-D (Flange, hinge, pop up, tabs, etc.) It is kind of a boring video....but it helped me show them some stuff that really made all the difference in success. 

I learned really quickly that I should have had gardening gloves for the students to use while using hot glue guns. Since I have up to 36 in a class and I was trying to help some of them find bigger pieces and cut their bases, for the most part, students were on their own at the hot glue stations. I had 5 mini hot glue guns set up for them to use. I also had small pieces of cardboard and paper towel tubes. 

Most of the small details can be cut out with small scissors. If they needed to cut a hole in something, I encouraged them to draw the shape and then I used my box cutter at a cutting station to help them cut out a hole or at least make scoring lines so they could get their scissors in there. I encouraged them to add layers of cardboard to make their mask more 3-D. They could add extra fur behind the mask on lion's manes and a tongue sticking out. 

Some students created more of a helmet---which became a challenge for storage but I really like how they turned out! 

If their piece of scrap cardboard had black writing on it, I reminded them to try to make that the back--so that it would be easier to paint over the brown than it would be the writing. It would be annoying if their mask said 'Charmin Extra Soft' across the front or "Alpo". 

Day 4--- Last day for construction, if students were absent, this is their chance to get caught up. If someone is done, they can help others, or work on a free choice activity.  LAST DAY FOR CONSTRUCTION. Create a base for the mask so it can hang on the wall. Put name on back.  

For the frames, I wanted their masks to have one more layer but I didn't want to scavenge for more cardboard so I created some templates and allowed them to choose a tracer for the shape that would work best for their mask. They simply selected the template they liked (they could hold their mask up to the shape and see if it fit well) and then found that tracer and traced it on 18X24 paper. Then they could collage more paper on the frame to make it more colorful. 

Day 6---Paint mask. Go over procedures for painting. 
For the first day of painting, I really wanted them to paint the base of their sculpture. First, I told them to pull off the hot glue 'cob webs'. 

I had lots of color choices including neon and metallic colors. I encouraged them to use gold, baby blue and white first, as those might need more than one coat. 

Using tempera paint means letting some colors dry before using other colors nearby, as the paint can smear easily. Since I allowed them to refill their own paint pallet, most of my lesson was about how to get a water bucket, how to select a pallet (I have 6 classes a day so they did not get a clean pallet, they were supposed to pick more than one pallet if necessary and use the paint that was already poured out). I also had to talk about not tapping the wet brush on the side of the water container. 

I also told them not to mix more than 2 colors. We haven't spent a lot of time on color mixing, so it was a real pain if they started mixing every color in their pallet. But I DID let them mix to make tints and shades of the colors. 

SAVE BLACK FOR LAST!!!

The hardest part of this project, was transitioning between classes. Since the masks were so big, they would not fit in my drying rack. I had the custodians set up 8 FT tables in a neighboring room. Each class had 2 tables and at the end of the hour, they had to carefully take their wet project to the room and set it on the table. It was a logistical marvel. 

For ​Day 7---Paint additional layers.
Today I provided black in small cups. Students really needed to save black for last---cheetah spots, eyes, etc. look best if the bottom layer is dry and then they add the black on top. 


Day 8---Final day for painting, attach mask to the base/frame. Add any painted details to the frame. Write a reflection on the success of the project. 

Today, students needed to finish painting the mask first. Then they needed to make the frame if they did not do that previously. They also had the opportunity to add embellishments. I explained what embellishments were. They could shop at the store for those---if anyone ever asks me if I think they should attach googlie eyes...my answer is always YES! I love them! I also had TACKY glue---NO HOT glue on things like feathers and sequins. Other things in the embellishment store: paper straws (for whiskers), cotton fluff balls, plastic gems, scrap craft grass and yarn. For embellishments, I told them they could have as much as they wanted, as long as they attached it to the frame or the mask. They could not take a handful of goodies home. Sorry! I did not have enough for that! 

Once their mask and frame were complete (add some paint to the frame so it matches the mask), they were to bring the mask to me so could use my big super hot hot glue gun to attach the mask to the frame. If they wanted the mask to be removable from the frame, they should have put strips of masking tape on the back to signal that they want to eventually wear the mask and they plan to remove it from the frame. I wanted the frames so that they would make a more impactful display! 

If they had free time, I let them use up some of the paint and 12X18 paper to paint 'frames' for another project later. 

Takeaways and reflection: 

This is a project that spanned the course of 8+ class periods. Nearly 400 students created 3-D masks. 

This project incorporated critical thinking and the use of sophisticated materials that middle school aged students should have an opportunity to utilize at school. When I polled each class, most kids raised their hand that they had used a hot glue gun before.  

This project was a massive undertaking to initiate and I have spent hours scouring for cardboard, cutting it to size, and planning each station to make it safe and accessible for multiple students. Most kids are VERY careful around the hot glue because they understood the danger. 

I understand that using hot glue is dangerous, just as scissors are dangerous.

Safety is always something that I stress in my lecture when starting a new project, it is always part of instructional input when I cover the routines and procedures for a project.

Students could get a bad paper cut that would hurt just as bad as the glue gun burn, it happens, and there are risks for every single thing we use. I know that this risk falls on my shoulders and I don't take it lightly, but it comes with the territory. 

The students responded so well to this project, most kids are thrilled to walk in the door and get to work on their mask, (which does not happen with every project we do).

There are students who haven't had success on anything ever before, making the most special and wonderful creations.  To an adult, the designs may not look like much, but the thought process, the vision and the application of skills are really quite incredible, it just can't be replicated through other process like drawing or painting. 

The risk involved with using hot glue guns was quite minimal in my opinion. We did have a few minor burns, but I encouraged them to use the old gardening gloves and always put the hot glue o the BIGGEST thing they were gluing, not the tiny thing they were attaching. Also, if they got a spot of hot glue on their hand, the worst thing they could do would be to wipe it----they should rush to the sink and run cold water over it---then peel off the hot glue. 

I would definitely do this project again without many changes. It was a lot of work to get the cardboard ready and the tables set up to allow the masks to dry, but it was worth it. 

I have spent the last week hanging all 12 classes around the building and I just love them all so much! This project had a very high success rate and I am proud of the work that my creative students have put into it. 

Printmaking is a huge undertaking in my opinion. It requires a lot of moving around, a lot of mess, and a lot of space for drying. Sometimes the students don't really understand the process in the beginning so its hard to explain what to expect until we actually start printing. It also means that I have to set up my room completely differently to accommodate all of the printing stations. 

Last winter, when we embarked on our 'winter animal reduction' prints, I learned a LOT about what to do and what not to do. I also had a very difficult student tell me that it was his favorite thing we did all year. 

​I have been waiting to post this for a long time because I have felt like the final products were not very successful, but I am posting now so you can learn from my mistakes. Here is another post from last year's printmaking adventure. 

Day 1
Students selected a 'winter animal' to draw. It had to be something that thrived in snowy weather and did not hibernate all winter. I read the Winter Animals book to give them a few ideas. Students began by practicing in their sketchbooks. I also showed the Over and Under in the Snow book. 

I had researched a couple of other reduction printing projects like this animal one and this fall leaf  so I felt like things would go pretty smoothly. And for the most part, they did. But I did not anticipate the results looking so blah. Most of the great detail in their foam plates was just lost in the printing process because we used tempera paint.....and about half of my students, I didn't have enough of the good foam and the other foam we used crumbled a little bit when they tried to carve into it. 

Once students had practiced their animals, I gave them a piece of 9X6 paper to start planning their stamp. 

Supplies:
sketchbooks
visuals of animals
pencils
erasers 
6X9 paper

Day 2
Students had some time to finish their sketches, but as soon as they had their design, it needed to go onto the 6X9 paper so they could start carving their stamp. To carve the stamp, they needed to tape the foam plate to the back and transfer part of the design to the foam plate with a colored pencil. I told them to ONLY transfer the background (keep it simple) and the outline of the animal. 

Supplies
Pencils
colored pencils
6X9 foam
6X9 paper
tape
​erasers

Day 3
Printing:
Since this is a reductive printing process, students only needed to transfer part of their design to the stamp initially. Then, they print 4 copies using light pastel colors. We used tempera paint for this layer. I mixed pastels (and completely ran out of white paint!) for them. 

Even though I made a video and STRESSED many details emphatically, some students still got lost on this day because they carved too much or they missed a day or some other distraction made the whole process confusing for them. 

Students needed to write their name on 4 pieces of white paper and keep it at their table. Then, take their printing plate to the inking station, ink it up and then return to their table to print it. We did not clean off out block between colors since they were light colors. I thought I was being clever setting up the paint on paper plates...but after 3 classes the plates were shredded. NEVER AGAIN! Also, the inking station was so covered with paint, we started using old catalogs as cover sheets, which helped but since I was printing with 6 classes back to back, it was H-E-double-hockey-sticks keeping the surface clean and ready for each class. 

Instructional video for day 1 of printing (day 3 of the project). 
​
Supplies:
brayers
ink (pastel colors)
carved stamps
pencils
​colored pencils

Day 4
REDUCTION DAY

Okay, for this day, I had to make sure that EVERY kid had their 4 base colors printed before they could transfer the additional details, print with their 2nd color and then cut out their animal and print with their third and final color on all 4 papers.

Once they cut their animal out, that was it, no going back.....This is where things really got dicey, especially if someone was absent. I made a video to demonstrate this part. I added tons of other colors to the options and I found that some just did not print well and many of the final editions are not great as a result. Live and learn. 

A lot of kids LOVED this day because it was a frenzy of moving around the room to the various stations, and it was UBER messy. 
 
Instructional vides part 2 and part 3 of the reduction process. I made two separate videos but most kids did both steps the same day. 

Supplies
Foam stamps
4 pieces of paper with background printed
brayers
Ink (we used paint, I don't recommend)
​

Fall semester students had just created 'winter animal' styrofoam prints so I already had tons of books, magazines, and visuals posted in my room but I wasn't quite ready to start the spring semester kids off with printmaking.....

I really wanted to start with creating sketchbooks and a little drawing and maybe some chalk, similar to the way that we created the sloths earlier in the fall. I decided to combine the two ideas.

Students could select any animal that either lived where it is cold, or spent the winter hunting, for the most part. I was pretty lenient and also let them choose pets. I only really limited the 'winter' part because I wanted them to use a snow technique, and I also wanted to have plenty of visuals....and stay away from reptiles as the blending techniques we would be using wouldn't work as well on scales as they would on fur and feathers.

Anyway, we spent the first day creating practice drawings in our sketchbooks. I told them they could make the animal wearing cute hats, scarves, and ear muffs if desired. Some did, some did not. 

Then we began the project by drawing with fat black crayons on 12X18 black paper. Some students struggled with the fact that they could not 'erase' the black crayon, even though I told them to draw lightly and we would be able to flip it over or color over mistakes. This was stressful for some kids. Next year, I want to use gray chalk for this step. Black is a little too messy, but I think gray would be perfect. 

Next, we started by coloring anything we wanted white. Especially animals with a lot of white, and anything that was supposed to be snowy. 

Also, we created a colorful blended aurora borealis inspired sky. This was a great chance to practice color blending. I loved playing an aurora video while they were working, and it gave them ideas on how they could vary the colors. I gave them a bowl with JUST cool colors (plus hot pink and lime green) chalk so they could really incorporate lots of cool colors. Also, I wanted them to create a different sky other than plain blue with a sun in the corner. 

Then, we colored the animals. I gave them a demonstration on how they could color the animals with chalk pastels, and put texture on top of the chalk with oil pastels for fur and feathers. They could also outline if desired. We outlined with black oil pastel very last!! 

Finally, if students wanted, we sprayed a fine mist of white paint over the background. I tried to mask off the animal a bit so that we wouldn't cover their work. I also asked them if they wanted it to look more like stars, and only be in the sky or if they were okay with it being sprayed everywhere like a snowy look. They were happy with the results and there was a ton of variety!! 

Next time, I think I will trim their papers down a little before we start the project so that we can create a frame around them. I think the big display is missing something. 

I'm sad that is is already time to take these down. Winter is over and the snowy pictures are a reminder!!