This project was inspired by Lois Ehlert’s beautiful book “Leaf Man”. A little technology, namely stock photography and a color printer, helped me to make dozens of flat, easy-to-cut and glue leaves.1. If you are so fortunate as to live near some fall foliage, you can take the real thing to a color copier and make lots of prints of multiple leaves. Or if you are like me, nowhere near any maple trees, you can go to www.gettyone and search for “leaves, close-up”. Download the preview images, which are free, and print out on a color printer. I splurged and used photo paper as the color seems to be about 10 times brighter when I do.
2. Young students can cut out the leaves leaving about an 1/8" of white around the outside. The reason is that intricate leaf shapes can be tricky to cut right on the edge, but because the background will be white, it will look OK. Older students can be more precise and cut out the leaf exactly.
3. The leaves are then to be cut in half right down the middle, along the spine. The two sides are then glued down with a little space left in between. A body and antennae are cut from scraps pieces, or from leftover stems.
2. Young students can cut out the leaves leaving about an 1/8" of white around the outside. The reason is that intricate leaf shapes can be tricky to cut right on the edge, but because the background will be white, it will look OK. Older students can be more precise and cut out the leaf exactly.
3. The leaves are then to be cut in half right down the middle, along the spine. The two sides are then glued down with a little space left in between. A body and antennae are cut from scraps pieces, or from leftover stems.
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5 comments:
I would love to try this one. How long would it take from set up to finished product?
Wondering also, since I am newly a 3rd and 4th grade art teacher with no art education background, how long to expect a mosaic of paper should take. I've told them to use 10 each of red, yellow, and blue, and use only angled lines. Cut one shape, glue it down, cut another and butt it up agaisnt the first, then antoher, and then fill the spaces left by the edges. Where would I go to search age-appropriate expectations for this grade level? I've only taught K-2nd until this year. My own son who is in first grade, is very talented, so he's not exactly a baseline for me. He can sit for two hours drawing a comic strip.
I think this would be about a 30 to 45 minute working lesson for kinders, it's not too involved.
As for estimated time with your other project, all I know is that there are so many variables with kids, it's hard to put numbers on anything.
I adore that book and forgot about it! Can't wait to get it out for my girls and try this project before winter sneaks up on us. I've done a project on elaboration with leaves where the kids pasted a leaf on a page and added details to turn it into something. Fun project. Happy to have come across your blog today!!
Jen
My blogs:
Creative and Curious Kids!
Literature Links
God's Shining Stars
thats a good way to learn through nature. indeed, such kind of projects are a great way to teach young students motor skills. it enables them to develop their motor skills because they learn the tactics to use scissors by cutting out shapes.
and...i find your blog very interesting. keep up the good work!
thank you
My son and I just made these butterflies for his Mom yesterday..she loved them and we had alot of fun collecting leaves and making the butterflies. Thank you very much for the idea.
Jon DuVall
Temperance MI
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