I Last spring, we made Chris Uphues Happy Collages for Valentines day. Students made individual 12X12 collages, and created an additional 'character' for a collaborative mural. For their individual collages, we used the chalk stencil design method to create a background. This year, I wanted to use the same idea to make collages for halloween. I think I like them even more!
We focused on symmetry and I had a few specialty papers available for students to use like halloween scrapbook paper and white sheet music. I showed them a couple of examples of Target 'cute' halloween stuff and encouraged them to make something 'cute' as opposed to gory, bloody, scary. I had a few try to argue that Halloween was supposed to scary, and I said listen, "You are making these things to display in a children's school, not a haunted house." Most of them could agree with me after that.
I did show how how they could cut the eyes out of a skull or they could just cut black paper and glue it down for the eyes. Also, I demonstrated how to draw half of a pumpkin along the fold and then cut it out so it would be symmetrical. Most of them 'got it'. The candy corn was the hardest thing to make symmetrical!
I had an inspiration board that had some basic fall and halloween symmetrical shapes. A few of my students do not celebrate halloween, so I encouraged them to do a leaf or an apple since those things are symmetrical and seasonal during autumn.
We focused on symmetry and I had a few specialty papers available for students to use like halloween scrapbook paper and white sheet music. I showed them a couple of examples of Target 'cute' halloween stuff and encouraged them to make something 'cute' as opposed to gory, bloody, scary. I had a few try to argue that Halloween was supposed to scary, and I said listen, "You are making these things to display in a children's school, not a haunted house." Most of them could agree with me after that.
I did show how how they could cut the eyes out of a skull or they could just cut black paper and glue it down for the eyes. Also, I demonstrated how to draw half of a pumpkin along the fold and then cut it out so it would be symmetrical. Most of them 'got it'. The candy corn was the hardest thing to make symmetrical!
I had an inspiration board that had some basic fall and halloween symmetrical shapes. A few of my students do not celebrate halloween, so I encouraged them to do a leaf or an apple since those things are symmetrical and seasonal during autumn.
Basic symmetrical shapes idea board
How amazing is this 5th grader's Jack Skellington?!
'Cute' Target skeleton
Cute Target Pumpkin
Cute Target Black Cat
Cute Target Vampire
Supplies
Day 1
(We made the chalk stencil background this day, I told them if they wanted to make a black figure like a cat or a bat, they might want to use gray for the background)
12X12 Paper (we used gray or black)
Chalk
12X12 paper for the stencil (again, gray or black)
Pencils for name
Scissors
Day 2
Chalk Stencil Backgrounds finished and ready for collages to be added on top
Scissors
Glue Sicks
Markers
Pencils
Colored Paper in all shapes and sizes and colors (Lots of orange and white)
Trash Tubs for each table
Mural Paper
Hot glue gun to hot glue each figure to the mural
Overall, I would say that this project was very successful for every student! I enjoyed watching them use symmetry and plan their designs. I told them that LOTS of kids were making pumpkins and skulls, so if they chose something like that, they should think of a way to customize it and make it unique, or else choose something that NO one else is probably attempting like an owl or a witch or a spider......I really wanted them to cut out as many elements as possible, but many of them drew stuff on which was okay too.
Day 1
(We made the chalk stencil background this day, I told them if they wanted to make a black figure like a cat or a bat, they might want to use gray for the background)
12X12 Paper (we used gray or black)
Chalk
12X12 paper for the stencil (again, gray or black)
Pencils for name
Scissors
Day 2
Chalk Stencil Backgrounds finished and ready for collages to be added on top
Scissors
Glue Sicks
Markers
Pencils
Colored Paper in all shapes and sizes and colors (Lots of orange and white)
Trash Tubs for each table
Mural Paper
Hot glue gun to hot glue each figure to the mural
Overall, I would say that this project was very successful for every student! I enjoyed watching them use symmetry and plan their designs. I told them that LOTS of kids were making pumpkins and skulls, so if they chose something like that, they should think of a way to customize it and make it unique, or else choose something that NO one else is probably attempting like an owl or a witch or a spider......I really wanted them to cut out as many elements as possible, but many of them drew stuff on which was okay too.
My Teacher Example
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