Inside-Out Self-Portraits

Project Description: After listening to the read-aloud “Nico Draws a Feeling” by Bob Raczkya, students drew self-portraits that reflected the way they felt, not the way they looked.

Concepts explored: SEL, line, color psychology

Techniques used: Drawing, coloring

Materials: 8.5”x11” paper, markers, pencil

Grades: K-5th grade

Resources used

Click on image to download worksheet

Community felt quilt inspired by the Quilts of Gee's Bend

Project Description: Each student created a felt quilt block inspired by the quilts of Gee’s Bend and the read-aloud of the book “Belle, the last mule at Gee’s Bend” by Calvin Alexander and Bettye Stroud. The middle school Fiber Arts class assembled the community quilt together by sewing each of the blocks by hand.

Concepts explored: Civil Rights, Martin Luther King, voting rights, quilt, balance (symmetry and asymmetry), color

Techniques used: Drawing, coloring, glueing, cutting, sewing

Materials: 4”x4” felt squares, colored pencils, scissors, tacky glue, needles, thread

Grades: 1st-8th grade

Resources used

Click on images to download worksheets

Favianna Rodriguez inspired Butterfly

Project Description: Students created a butterfly inspired by Favianna Rodriguez’s “migration is beautiful” printed butterfly and learned about the migration of monarch butterflies.

Concepts explored: Immigration, transformation, symmetry, warm and cool colors

Techniques used: Drawing, painting with glue, water color

Materials: 9”x12” paper, pencil, black glue, water color, water trays, brushes

Grades: K-5th grade

Resources used

The lesson modified the video tutorial. Instead of creating a butterfly print, students painted it with black glue and watercolors.