Heart Art

I was shy as a kid. As a child I remember one thing, art always brought me out of my shell, which is why I find it to be so important in the classroom. I see it when my students are doing a craft or an art project. They begin to have conversations with one another that only happen during art. The kids that rarely talk begin to let loose and show everyone they have a voice.

This past Valentine's week my students used their knowledge of blending colors from dark to light to create their own masterpiece! Their hearts were just beautiful. I wanted to keep them and hang them up, but they really wanted to take them home. And so they did. I  just hope they didn't end up crushed in their backpacks.

To make the hearts I drew a heart template with small boxes throughout and copied onto white construction paper. Using their oil pastels the students chose three colors at a time and put them in order from dark to light. They chose one box and began coloring with the darkest shade. Next the students colored using the middle shade. Finally the students used the lightest shade to complete the box.

It's amazing what kids can do when you let them try.