A Fun STEM-based lesson for grades 4 and up.
Collaborative projects in the art room can be a bit of a challenge. It’s hard to assign individual grades to group work, but in this coral reef printing lesson, I found a fun way for students to trade and share work. Though I have focused on a coral reef here, this could be done for any environment where multiple elements would be possible, like a jungle, forest, tundra, mountainous area or any biome. It’s also where you may be able to collaborate with an earth science colleague for a STEM-based lesson.
I created a Google Doc that students could access to upload images for me to print. They needed one mobile creature and one static item, like a shell or coral. This would also work with nature magazines too, or students could observe and draw items. I chose to allow them to trace for this printmaking lesson. Though I used foam plates, any printing media will work, so use what you are comfortable with and have on hand.
Students who finished their printing plated early were to make additional items for their underwater scene. This was how they could “exceed expectations” in my grading rubric. The video below was my introduction.
I created a Google Doc that students could access to upload images for me to print. They needed one mobile creature and one static item, like a shell or coral. This would also work with nature magazines too, or students could observe and draw items. I chose to allow them to trace for this printmaking lesson. Though I used foam plates, any printing media will work, so use what you are comfortable with and have on hand.
Students who finished their printing plated early were to make additional items for their underwater scene. This was how they could “exceed expectations” in my grading rubric. The video below was my introduction.
Students created individual prints on colored paper. Then collaborative prints by sharing plates on larger (18x24 in. paper) and printed onto a large mural paper I had in the front of the room. (3ft x 10 ft.) I showed students how to overlap colors, create gradients, and overlap images for depth. We added watercolor or oil pastel enhancements to their 18x24 inch collaborative pieces. Coloring the backgrounds and sea floor helped give the images a finished feel.
I like to set up inking stations around the permitter of the room and have students print at their seats. This seemed to keep them active and allow more students to print. For most of the period inking stations are set with single colors, but for the last 15 minutes I allow them to mix colors and experiment. For a class of 20 I only put out 10 brayers and 10 inking stations so at the end of the period each student has to clean one. If I have too many or too few, clean-up becomes a headache.
The final results were fantastic. Students enjoyed collaborating, and having a temporary mural for the building to show off their work.
I like to set up inking stations around the permitter of the room and have students print at their seats. This seemed to keep them active and allow more students to print. For most of the period inking stations are set with single colors, but for the last 15 minutes I allow them to mix colors and experiment. For a class of 20 I only put out 10 brayers and 10 inking stations so at the end of the period each student has to clean one. If I have too many or too few, clean-up becomes a headache.
The final results were fantastic. Students enjoyed collaborating, and having a temporary mural for the building to show off their work.
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