Start off the school year with art projects to adorn the walls of the classroom.
At the beginning of a new school year students can be shy about talking about themselves, yet it's an important time to start building relationships among students as well as between the teacher and his class. Art projects are a way for students to express themselves and begin sharing with their classmates; students can ease into the school year and have work to display on the walls and bulletin boards in the room for the first few weeks.
Trace Yourself
Roll out long strips of butcher paper and have each student lay down on one. Trace around each student and have him draw his favorite things inside of the outline, such as his favorite food, favorite pet, his family and something symbolizing his favorite subject. Instead of having students draw in the outlines, ask children to cut pictures out of magazines to represent their favorite things. Older students can be paired up to trace each other's outline. Give each student a chance to explain the drawings to the class.
Salt Dough Pencil Buddies
Mix together salt, water and flour in a ratio of 1:1:2. Cover the work area with wax paper for greater ease working with the dough. If the dough is tacky, add more flour. Roll up a pencil or pen in plastic wrap and then cover the plastic wrap with salt dough except for the tip, leaving the dough thicker at the top of the pen. Add eyes and whatever features you would like out of small bits of dough and hair from yarn or chenille. Allow pens to dry for a couple of days and then paint the buddies with tempera or acrylic paints.
Silhouettes
Set up the overhead projector in a place where you can pin paper to the wall that the light hits. Have each student stand in front of the projector facing to the side and ask another student to trace the profile, first facing left, then right, one on each side of the paper. Assign students to color one half of the silhouette with their facial features and hair and to fill the other side with things that represent their hobbies, families and emotions.
Backpack Name Tags
Have students make backpack tags on heavy paper or card stock. Give them templates of circles or rectangles, or allow students to create their own shapes. Have students write their names and decorate the tags. Then laminate them, punch a hole in each one and help the students tie their tags onto the zippers of their backpacks with yarn. Braid the yarn first for stronger tags.
