Our second Wonderlab lesson was all about getting our students exploring with new, fun materials, tools and techniques in their brand new sketchbooks! We wanted to create an opportunity for students to discover the materials provided through their own, unique processes. This produces learning that is genuine, meaningful and enduring. To accomplish this we did not instruct students on WHAT they were making, but on possibilities HOW to make with the given materials. We loosely called these images "collages" which a few students were able to share the definition of with their peers!
The materials we chose to work with were tissue paper squares of various colors, watered down Elmer's glue, paint brushes and markers. Tissue paper is a great material to explore with since it is easily manipulated and can produce many outcomes. Once we had demonstrated the skill of using the paintbrush in the modge-podge glue properly, students were asked to guide the demo. First we glued down a square piece of tissue, then let students pick the second color. The students were prompted to suggest how the tissue could be manipulated or changed before applying it to the page. Ideas like ripping the tissue, crumpling it or layering it were brainstormed all while being demonstrated as the ideas flowed. The students were then asked what other materials could be layered on their collages and we discovered that marker could be added to make our images even more interesting. There were endless possibilities!
During this learning experience students produced an abundance of self-discovered ways to approach tissue paper collage. Some layered colors over one another to create new colors, some ripped the tissue paper and combined it with drawing to create images like dragons or people. Some pushed the material as far as it could go by adding so much glue that the color leeched from the tissue and they were able to paint with it. More than a few students connected the delicate nature of the tissue to that of a flower and chose to create flowers in their sketchbooks. Others saw the ability to build up the tissue into 3-dimensional forms creating bridges or simply crumpling the tissue into little puffs that dotted their pages. It was incredible to see the ideas that formed when students were given the freedom to express themselves while learning a new medium!
The materials we chose to work with were tissue paper squares of various colors, watered down Elmer's glue, paint brushes and markers. Tissue paper is a great material to explore with since it is easily manipulated and can produce many outcomes. Once we had demonstrated the skill of using the paintbrush in the modge-podge glue properly, students were asked to guide the demo. First we glued down a square piece of tissue, then let students pick the second color. The students were prompted to suggest how the tissue could be manipulated or changed before applying it to the page. Ideas like ripping the tissue, crumpling it or layering it were brainstormed all while being demonstrated as the ideas flowed. The students were then asked what other materials could be layered on their collages and we discovered that marker could be added to make our images even more interesting. There were endless possibilities!
During this learning experience students produced an abundance of self-discovered ways to approach tissue paper collage. Some layered colors over one another to create new colors, some ripped the tissue paper and combined it with drawing to create images like dragons or people. Some pushed the material as far as it could go by adding so much glue that the color leeched from the tissue and they were able to paint with it. More than a few students connected the delicate nature of the tissue to that of a flower and chose to create flowers in their sketchbooks. Others saw the ability to build up the tissue into 3-dimensional forms creating bridges or simply crumpling the tissue into little puffs that dotted their pages. It was incredible to see the ideas that formed when students were given the freedom to express themselves while learning a new medium!
Inquiry/Learning Target:
Key Concepts:
Essential Understandings:
Skills:
- The learning target for this class was to introduce the possibility of sketchbooks not being just for sketching, and for learning new skills of tissue paper application and using glue with paint brushes.
Key Concepts:
- Utilizing other materials creates new possibilities for making
- Sketchbooks can be used for more than sketching
- Sketchbooks are a way to contain a collection of art
Essential Understandings:
- Artists and designers use new materials and new skills in their sketchbooks to express themselves and the world around them
Skills:
- Listening to instructions
- Sharing
- Creative problem solving
- Respecting others
- Cleaning materials
- Taking care of materials
- Keeping items separate from each other
- Keeping area clean
- Taking risks
During this lesson I documented that group B approached the exploration of the tissue paper differently then Group A did. From the video you can here the students explaining more about how they want to tell a story through utilising the materials. The student says that they “ Are making confetti and a cupcake,” where as in the group A third grade class they just wanted to glue and layer the tissue paper. During this reaction with a student they were really excited to talk about the artwork as they love YouTube and aspired to be a YouTube, so explaining what she was creating and doing was something they where use too.
From this last part of documentation it's a short clip, I wanted to focus on the students use of tissue paper to create a shape or object, as this wasn’t seen in group A, and again during this activity group B wanted to focus more on the concept for the creation of tissue paper, rather then exploring with the materials. Technique wise from this video, when asking the student, how did the students change the tissue paper aside from just layering the green, to create the overall composition of the turtle they said, “I used folding and ripping,” of the materials to create the round shape of the turtle.
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For this documentation we see two students exploring the materials together in a group. This was seen again in the A group with the third graders working together as a group. We also here in this short clip how the students are deciding the colors they are gluing down onto their paper, as one student says “I’m using mostly pink and red,” and agreed after asked if she likes the combination of the two colors overlapping together, she answered with “yes”. So students are choosing colors based off of their own personal preference and combining them to create two colors overlapping that they like to see.
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