Grade level: Third Grade
Third graders in Michigan do a Social Studies unit on Michigan history. They learn about the Great lakes and along with them they touch on significant sight seeing spots like light houses. Our third graders used about four class periods to create gorgeous collages of Michigan Lighthouses. They chose from photos of various Lighthouses such as the St. Clair Flats Lighthouse in Lake St. Clair. We also talked about all five Great Lakes that spell out the acronym HOMES (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior!!) We talked about Horizon Line and where the sky and water meet and Seascape as opposed to Landscape. Warm and Cool color concepts can be included as well.
Materials Used:
*Tempera paint or cakes (Limit to RYB PGO)
*Posterboard-Scrap is great!
*Small squares of construction paper and colored tissue paper. (aproximately 1x1 inch and 1/2x1/2 inch)
*Old Puzzle pieces (or any old junk that would make them interesting)
* Elmers and Glue Sticks (Elmers for heavier puzzle pieces and glue sticks for construction and colored tissue)
*Glitter glue for illuminating the water and or sky
Process:
Loosely sketch out the horizon line, sky, and Lighthouse. Create a light wash to indicate color (sort of a map for the collage pieces.) Lay out then glue pieces. Touch up with Glitter Glue and paint if needed. As a Language Arts follow up we wrote a poem from the perspective of looking at the Lighthouse while in a boat in a storm. Our results were stunning!!! This lesson can be adapted to any significant statutes or even artwork in public places in every State in our beautiful country!! Cityscapes of big cities like Detroit, New York, and Chicago could also be collaged by using post cards as a source of inspiration!!! Anything scenic and unique to a state can be collaged.
Submitted by:
Chrissy Poinsett
Art Teacher
Our Lady of Refuge School
Orchard Lake, MI
