Wednesday, December 30, 2015

More Christmas Trees in Art Room 231...Grade 2 Weaving!


When art class only meets once a week, every minute counts, even during the holidays! This project was designed to review simple paper weaving, which my second graders had learned during the spring of their first grade year when we wove paper flower baskets. We'll be doing loom weaving with yarn after the Christmas holiday break, so this project helped me see which students remembered the basic over-under weaving pattern, and which students would need more review when the yarn and looms came out in January.
My direction board for the weaving steps
After choosing light or dark green construction paper (9x12"), the students followed some simple instructions to create their triangular tree "loom".
We call a lengthwise fold the "hot dog fold". After folding, the students used cardboard strips to draw a line from the folded corner to the opposite open corner of the paper.


After cutting on the line, the students used the cardboard strip to mark off what I call the "do not cut past this line...line", which helps them keep from cutting the paper in half while preparing the openings for the weaving.



The students then used shorter cardboard strips, about 1" wide, to mark off the cutting lines.


Once the lines have been cut, it's time for weaving! This year, I had received a generous donation of red, green, and gold metallic ribbon from a parent, which made the project extra special. The students cut ribbon strips 12" long using rulers, then used the strips to weave their trees. The final step was to cut out a silver star, which they could decorate using liquid glue and plenty of colorful glitter! I don't have a photo, but I try to contain the glitter a bit by having the students apply the glue at their tables, then bring it to a "glitter station" where the piece is placed in a box lid where the sprinkling takes place. The glitter can then be collected and returned to the shakers for reuse instead of going into the trash and onto the floor.
To keep it simple, we used masking tape on the back of the trees to attach the stars, trunks, and any lose ribbons.



Merry Christmas to all from Art Room 231!



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