Stained Glass Art

On December 9, 2011, another teacher candidate and I presented an art lesson on stained glass art. Our lesson plan stated that the 4^th graders had just finished a unit studying Ancient European History, specifically culture, and to reinforce and expand on what they have learned until now we will create stained glass art with paper in art class. First, we went over a PowerPoint which covered stained glass art from 300 AD. up to the 19^th century. While we presented the PP, the students were required to write three stained glass history facts on a note card that will be displayed alongside their artwork.  Next, we motivated them more by showing them a series of photos of stained glass windows in Gower Street United Church, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Then we covered new art vocabulary that they will need for this art lesson. The vocabulary consisted of the different color schemes and organic and geometric shapes. After completing the PP, we went over the stained glass art rubric so students would be aware of what was expected of them. We warned the student that they will be working with exacto knifes which can be dangerous if not handled properly. We also showed them several examples of stained glass paper art that we had created. Once we covered all this, we went on to model and demonstrate how to create stained glass art with tissue and construction paper. We assisted the students as they did their art.

Art Materials Needed:

·         tissue paper

·         construction paper

·         Scissors

·          glue stick

·          Exacto knife

Here are the steps to create stained glass art with paper:

1.       Find a pattern of the artwork that you want to create. (Since it was December, the patterns we supplied to the class were part of a Christmas theme. Christmas art may not be acceptable in all school districts so teachers need to be careful about this.)

2.       Staple your pattern onto a piece of construction paper of the color of your choice.

3.       Use an exacto knife to cut out your art. Find a cutting board on which to you can do your cutting to avoid ruining the surface of your workstation. (Be careful when working with an exacto knife for they are dangerous tools if not used carefully.)

4.       Cut out all the negative shapes in your pattern. The tissue paper will be glued on the back to cover the negative shapes. It is best to cut out the outline (outside of pattern) after you have glued on all the tissue paper on the back; this way, any extra projecting tissue paper can be cut off.

5.       Using a glue stick, glue several different colors of tissue paper on the back of the pattern to cover up all the negative shapes. In the Nativity Scene example below you do all the previous steps (steps 1-4) exept that you cut out 1"x1" pieces of different colored tissue paper and glue them onto the back of your pattern to create a collage of colors.

6.       Once you have completed gluing on the tissue paper you can finish cutting out the pattern. 

7.       Ta-da, you have now completed your tissue paper art. And it has a nice stained glass look as you hang it in a window.

8.       Your stained glass art in now ready to display. It can be hung in a window which gives it a nice look especially when the sun shines directly on it. Or it can be displayed in a lighted art case which also brings out the beauty of the different colored tissue paper.

Here are several example of stained glass art that I made:

Stained glass art displayed in a window (tree is green)

Extension activity: A stained glass art project would be a great way to expand on a science unit when studying plants and flowers. Students could create flowers using stained glass art. The students would use (a) tissue paper color(s) which best represents the flower they choose to recreate. The flowers could then be displayed in the classroom windows along with a short description next to the window which briefly describes each flower. To match the description with the flower each students would give their flower a different number which would match the number on their flower’s description.

Display: To display our class’ stained glass art projects, we used a lighted art-case in the hallway of the school. We decorated the art case with Christmas trim and bows on the outside and tissue paper on the inside since we had a Christmas theme. Unfortunately, the lights were not very bright in the art case and the stained glass art that the students created did not have the effect that it would have in a window with outside light coming through as can be seen in the first stained glass art pictures I posted above. Anyway, here are pictures of our stained glass art display:

Front View

Here is our Stained Glass Art Lesson Plan:

Teachers: Jonathan Stahl, Robert Stahl

Lesson Title: Ancient Europe and Stained Glass Windows Art.

Grade Level: 4^th Grade

Developmental Characteristics: The class has been studying a unit on Ancient European history, specifically culture. To reinforce what they have learned they will create stained glass window art. Another purpose of this lesson is for 4^th graders to create art by arranging various shapes and colors. 4^th graders will typically select and arrange objects to satisfy their compositional design needs. Students will also demonstrate their ability to make precise cuts on tissue and construction paper to create their artwork. 4^th graders typically have improved eye-hand coordination which will help them in this task.

National Visual Art Standards:

Standard 1: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes.

d. Students use art materials and tools in a safe and responsible manner.

Standard 4:  Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and culture.

a.       know that the visual arts have both a history and specific relationships to various cultures.

Objectives:

Art Production:  The students will use an exacto knife in a safe and responsible manner while creating their artwork.

Artistic Perception: The students will be able to identify and list two different color schemes in their own artwork.

Art History: Student will be able list three stained glass window history facts from PowerPoint to display with their artwork.

Art Materials: tissue paper, construction paper, note cards, scissors, glue stick, and exacto knife for each student.

Instructional Resources:

·         Stained Glass History PowerPoint

·         Examples of stained glass tissue paper artwork

·         Grading Rubric

·         Color Scheme Handout

Vocabulary (Elements and Principles of Art):

·         Organic shapes: Shapes that are not regular or even, using a combination of edges that are curved or angular (often found in nature).

·         Geometric shapes: Two-dimensional shapes created by exact mathematical laws; oval, circle, square, triangle, and rectangle.

·         Color Schemes: Color is divided into groups based on the way they are placed on the color wheel: warm colors, primary colors, secondary colors, complementary colors, analogous colors, etc.

Procedure:

Anticipatory Set (Motivation): The teachers will show short PowerPoint of the history of stained glass windows.  Students will list three facts about the history of stained glass artwork on a piece of paper to display with their artwork.

Step 1. The teachers will show examples of stained glass artwork that was created with construction and tissue paper.

Step 2 (Instructional Input): The teachers will inform students that they need to use at least two different color schemes in their artwork (Ex. Warm colors, cool colors, primary or secondary colors, etc.). The teachers will provide students with a handout that gives a definition of each of the different color schemes.

Discuss organic and geometric shapes and the different color schemes.

Step 3 (Modeling): The teachers will model how to cut with an exacto knife in a safe and responsible manner.

Step 4 (Guided Practice): The teachers will show students how to create stained glass tissue paper artwork.

1.      Begin by having students staple their pattern onto a piece of construction paper of their choice.

2.      Cut out pattern with exacto knife and/or scissors.

3.      Using a glue stick, glue tissue paper on the back of stained glass construction paper pattern.

Step 5: The students will create their own stained glass artwork with construction and tissue paper.

Step 6 (Display): The stained glass tissue paper artwork will be displayed in a lighted, glass artcase. Each student’s stained glass history fact note card will be displayed alongside their artwork. The lighted artcase will give the artwork a stained glass look. A Christmas theme border will be used to give the case a finished look.

Check for Understanding: The teachers will review the rubric and grading procedures to help students understand what is expected of them.

Closure: Ask students to volunteer to show their stained glass artwork and point out the color schemes, organic or geometric shapes used.

Clean Up: The students are responsible to clean their own work area.

Student Evaluation: Students will evaluate their own artwork by comparing it to the criteria on a rubric.

Integration: This art project could be used in a science project specifically when studying why leaves change color. They could create stained glass artwork of colorful autumn leaves.

Teacher evaluation:

·         Did students use at least two of the nine color schemes in their artwork?

·         Could students identify two color schemes in their artwork and list them on a rubric?

·         Students included three stained glass facts from the PowerPoint (on a piece of paper) which will be displayed with their artwork.

·         Did students use scissors and exacto knife in a responsible manner?

Print Making Art Project

The following art project is on print making. We did out print making art project with foam sheets and ink. One can create a template of any given picture and reuse it as often as possible to create identical prints. Our print making theme was on nature. Here is the print I created:

Materials needed:

·         Foam sheet

·         Print making ink

·         Roller/sponge

·         Paintbrush

·         Construction paper (different colors).

The steps in print making are as follows (the steps I took to create my art):

1.       Choose a nature scenery for your print making.

2.       Practice drawing the nature scene on a blank sheet of scrap paper to avoid messing up your foam sheet.

3.       Use the end of a paintbrush handle to draw a nature scene on a foam board. It is necessary to apply a fair amount of pressure on the drawing tool (paintbrush or pencil) to create an edge or outline of your scene. Avoid pressing to hard on the foam, though, so you don’t punch it through. Different line thicknesses should be used throughout the print to create texture.

4.       When finished drawing the nature scene, choose an ink color and construction paper color so that you have complementary colors (red-green, blue-orange, yellow-purple).

5.       Use a paint brush to put a glob of ink into a dish. Now roll the roller through the ink (make sure it has ink all over the roller).

6.       Roll the wet roller onto the foam paper; be sure to wet the roller in the ink as often as necessary to that you have a fair amount of ink on the foam. If there is not enough ink on the foam, you will not be able to get a good print on the construction paper.

7.       Once the foam paper has been filled with ink, grab the edges of the foam, and firmly press the ink side down on a piece of construction paper to create a print of a nature scene. Be sure to press down the foam on the center of the construction paper.

8.       Remove the foam from the construction paper to reveal the beautiful print.

9.       If not satisfied with the colors you used—blue paper and orange ink, etc. — or the outline of your picture, you may wipe the foam with a wet paper towel and redo it as often as you wish.

Engraved foam board with yellow paint on it

Extension project: This art project could easily be integrated into math by having students create their own flash cards with print making. The students could create their own addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division flash cards to take home and study. It would not be necessary for each student to make foam prints of all math facts; this could be a group project in which each student would work on different sets of (addition, subtraction, etc.) problems and use each other’s foam prints to create their own flash cards. This project would motivate students to study harder since they created the cards themselves.

Cave Art Comes Alive

Mud Paint Art Project

This art project was to introduce 2^nd grade students to storytelling through art. The lesson was related to the different methods used to pass down history (ideas, information, etc. ) through the ages of human existence. To reinforce the lesson of recording history, each student created a cave painting of one of their favorite childhood memories. For instance, one of my favorite childhood memories was playing on hay or straw bales/stacks during the summer with my friends. I painted a farm scene which included a stack of hay bales and on which me and my friends are seen playing. Here is my cave painting:

Materials needed:

·         Paper bags

·         Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow mud paint

·         Mud

·         Tempera

The steps to create a cave painting are as follows:

1.       Have the students come up with one of their favorite childhood memory that they would like to record.

2.       Find a large, brown paper bag (grocery bag) and cut out a piece that is approximately 20” X 12” from either the front or the back side of the bag (the back if it contains a store label).

3.       Crumple the bag into a ball until you get the desired texture—you want it to look like rock.

4.       Make some mud paint. Mix real mud (yes, real mud) with tempera and paint. Choose common colors like blue, red, green, or blue paints to create you mud paint since, in the prehistoric times, they didn’t have the variety of colors we do today. When I made my cave painting, the mud paint lacked the color it was supposed to have; for instance, my straw bales were not quite as yellow as I wanted them to be because my mud paint did not have enough yellow paint. Be sure to mix enough paint to get the desired color you want but not so much paint that it loses its prehistoric look.

5.       Create a cave painting by painting with your fingers. Be sure to have wet towels available to wipe your fingers when you want to use different paints in your painting.

6.       To include texture, have the students include different types of texture like pine needles, leaves, twigs, or other plant materials in their painting.

7.       When finished painting a picture of your favorite childhood memory, let the painting dry before you display it.

8.       Have the students write a short reflection about their favorite childhood memory to display alongside their painting.

Painting with mud was a new and unique experience for me and any 2nd grader will do this project with delight. I enjoyed painting with mud--the mud paint has a nice texture and is easy to work with. It is surprising how good the painting looks when it dries.

Extension activity: When studying a science unit or lesson that deals with animals that have already extinct, the students could do a cave painting art project about an animal that is extinct (for instance, the dinosaur or mammoth). The teacher could have the students write a short description of their animal such as its diet, its habitat, and in what era it lived upon the earth. The short description could be displayed with the cave painting. The cave painting would not only reinforce the media they used to record history but it would also correlate to the time era in which the animal became extinct.