Wowee woa wow this project was a doozy. The idea for this lesson came from a combination of this and this. We began by looking at contemporary and classic folk art from Georgia, folk art from the south, and folk art from Mexico. When students compared and contrasted all of the work they noticed that it all has bright colors and patterns and is mostly about plants, animals, people, and nature. So with that inspiration we got to work!
We began by creating texture on a piece of construction paper using texture mats and crayons. Then, students created colorful patterns on popsicle sticks and glued it to the bottom the the paper to create a table for their flower pot. The next week, students created a vase design in their sketchbooks. Then, everyone got a piece of rainbow scratch paper and a toothpick or stick. They created a patterned flower pot and were amazed when scratching the waxy black surface revealed a vibrant rainbow beneath!
The next few weeks after that were spent creating and constructing flowers. Fourth graders could choose any color of construction paper to draw their design on. They used markers to trace over their lines and add extra pizzazz. Stems, leaves, and details were also added.
There were lots of handouts of flowers and vases so students could feel confident about their ideas. I am so proud of how incredibly creative these turned out!
Way to go fourth graders!

❤ Ms. K