Zebras with a Twist

I few weeks ago I completed an African unit with my intermediate students. Each grade level did their own project and it just so happens 3rd graders created zebras!  This project is borrowed from the Georgetown Elementary art blog (http://josettebrouwer.edublogs.org/)

This project was introduced by looking at pictures of real zebras on google images. We discussed how zebras camoflauge themselves and what their color scheme is -- black and white. However, on this project we were going to change our color scheme.

We began by drawing a zebra using shapes onto a piece of tagboard. Our tag board happens to be the white sides of a tv dinner box. Rectangle body, two diagonal lines for the neck, oval head, triangle tail, and traced tongue depressors for the legs.

We traced everything with black sharpie and then students began to color their zebras with only 4 colors to create a "color scheme". We used the classic crayola markers in "Assorted colors" which gave us more pastel options. I encouraged students to color with patterns.

Students then cut out their zebras. Some did not complete this the first day, so they began the second session by cutting the zebra out.  The second week of this project students began by selecting a small piece of neon scrap paper. We cut a "fringe" to make it appear more like hair. This hair is glued to the back of the neck. Also a small piece is glued to the tail

We glued our zebra onto a black construction paper background to make the colors appear even more bright. (4 1/2 x 6" black paper)

Lastly, we glued our construction paper with the zebra onto a large piece of manila paper. (My school was throwing old manila chart paper out and I snagged it!) We created a zebra stripe on the manila frame using a piece of corrogated cardboard and purple paint. The original plan used black paint, but we were out. So... obviously any color will do with some imagination :) 

I love how different each zebra is!

This project took 2 forty minute classes.

Materials:

tagboard/tv dinner cardboard

pencils and erasers

sharpies/permanent marker

crayola markers in bright colors

scissors

glue

4 1/2 x 6" black construction

any size paper for the frame... any color

Paint - any color

Corrogated cardboard cut into squares - one per child

Ndebele Hut Sculptures!

I have spent the last three weeks with my 4th graders discussing a culture of people from south east Africa known as the Ndebele. (En-duh-bay-lay) These are a very creative group of people who are also very traditional and continue the practice of building homes with beautiful geometric designs.

We started off with a piece of 6 x 18" long drawing paper. Students were given the option of choosing a shape for the door to be drawn in the middle of the paper. From there, students were to draw geometric shapes to create designs on each side of the door. The rule was that I wanted it to be symmetrical. Each side needed to match closely. We traced our designs with permanent marker.

The second day we worked on this project students finished tracing their designs with marker, then colored with crayola markers. This project could be colored with crayons or even painted with watercolors or tempera. Its whatever you feel most comfortable doing.

The third day students completed coloring and we began turning our flat paper into a cylindrical sculpture. Students rolled their houses into a cylinder and glued the two ends together.  Then they traced a large circle onto a 9 x 9" piece of brown construction paper. They cut the circle out then cut a radius into it.

Students brought me their roof circle and cylinder house. I stapled the roof into a wide cone, then hot glued the roof to the cylinder. You could have students do these independently, however I felt this would complete the project most efficiently if I helped them along.

These all turned out differently and I love the results!  Our school librarian has graciously allowed us to display our huts in the library. They are quite the hit!

There is also a good story book out there called the Village of Round and Square Houses by Ann Grifalconi that makes a great reference for this particular project. Feel free to google Ndebele. They are a fascinating people!

This project took 3 forty minute classes to complete. Makes a great interdisciplinary connection to geometry, shape, and symmetry in 4th grade math studies.
This project is inspired from a lesson I got at my 2009 state conference.

Line and Pattern Kente Cloth

If you are looking for a good cultural reference to introduce lines and patterns to elementary age children, then Kente Cloth may be a great option for you! I did this lesson with 1st and 2nd graders, but the second graders definitely had the best results. They just have a little more line drawing experience.

We started off reading an excellent book The Spider Weaver: A Legend of Kente Cloth by Margaret Musgrove. This book is not easy to find however if you are a teacher you can purchase it through Scholastic.com. Perfect story for little ones and lovely illustrations.

We reflected on Kente cloth visuals and all the different lines we saw. Most importantly we noted that Kente cloth is not the same all over. Some parts have different patterns.

Students first folded a piece of 9 x 12" white paper in half (hamburger style), then in half again (hot dog style). We opened our paper back up and we just created three folded lines... hence we divided our paper into four sections. Students traced the folds with a dark color crayon, then we added stitches! These were lines that ran perpendicular to the first lines we drew.

Students then drew patterns (with crayon) using only lines in each section. Each section needed to be different than the others. Lastly, students painted each section with a tempera cake wash. This could also be done with watercolor.
The students loved the story and their kente cloth. We also learned some new vocabulary like "calabash". Next year I may try this again and let them have a little more variety in their approach to painting.

   

This project was completed in 3 forty-minute class periods.  

 

Also, I encouraged students to create patterns using 3 different kinds of lines initially. Eventually towards the end of their cloth some students starting using 2 lines.

***PS: I received my books from Amazon and Scholastic. The book Lines that Wiggle by Candace Whitman is just too wonderful. The illustrations are my absolute favorite and right now its only $10 on Amazon. The book is worth far more than what I paid for it. So thrilled!