So, I decided to delve into the world of Paper craft and hand printing. Why I decided to do this with 8-9 year old's is beyond me, but I felt they should learn these building blocks. What began/was meant to be an 8-10 week stand- alone unit merged into 2 different UOI's, but that actually worked in our favor. This Unit was an exercise in patience and rotation, because we essentially had to work in small groups to ensure everybody got a chance to learn everything. So we made stations, and made it happen somehow! We began with the history of paper making; looked at and felt many examples of different papers, and then learned how to make paper using natural materials we collected outside. We then moved on to learning about Monotypes and the history of Printmaking. We had a great critique on the Monotypes we created. Lastly, we learned how to make a screen print, and discovered why this method was important in Pop Culture and media today.
As the UOI was "How the World Works", students worked in small groups to discuss the central idea, "Art can be used to communicate ideas and experiences creatively". We talked about the manner in which mass production changed the way information was transferred and relayed to communities, and eventually the whole world. Students also learned about how lithography was accidentally discovered and how it really led the way to the first newspapers. Students researched and discovered the many different ways media is created from a Visual Arts standpoint.We had a lot of fun, and it was a huge learning curve for me too; in the sense that organization and management of 25+ students with one tiny sink, one mould and deckle and 3 large screenprinting screens is not an easy feat for one unit! Check out some of our hard work!
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| Getting the pulp into the mould and deckle. |
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| Squeezing out all the water before letting the paper dry. |
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| Monotypes |
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| Ready for critique! |
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| Screen printing own designs |
