Just did a printmaking session with the JK/SKs. We finished within an hour and an half. We stared by painting shapes on a large piece of paper using the primary colours only in tempra paint. Some of the children were able to paint the shapes on their own but I had also taken the time to create some templates out of paper for them to paint around and then fill in with the same or a different colour once they lifted the template shape. If I were to do this in the future I would make reusable templates out of wood or plexiglass or maybe laminate the paper ones. At the end I just had to throw them out because they were covered in paint.
Once everyone had filled their paper with different shapes (I tried to get them to balance out their compositions by filling in the white spaces with shapes) we brought out the black tempra and some found objects I found around the house. Using these objects: forks, metal brackets, flat screws, empty toilet paper rolls and plastic cookie cutters to name a few, we attempted to make patterns around the outside edges of the shapes. The SKs were more adept at creating the patterns but some JKers could do it too.
Successes:
- Having the template shapes prepared ahead of time "just in case".
- Having a separate paint brush for each colour and not bringing out the black until later when the other colours were cleared from the desks.
- Getting them to sign their names in lower right hand corner first.
Things I would do differently next time:
- Have a set of spill free paint jars for each pair of students. I had a lot of clean up after with the plastic cups and the were knocked to the floor twice when students leaned against their papers.
- Make templates out of some reusable material
- Allow students to do more of the clean-up, perhaps allowing those that finish ahead of the others to rinse the brushes.
- Have buckets for students to wash hands independently when they need to.
