Second Grade Aztec Art

 This project was pretty much the same as the the third grade Illuminated Initials that I do, however, the second graders get a much smaller piece of copper. I really love the effect of the copper and the permanent markers.

I start this project out by reading the book Musicians of the Sun by Gerald McDermott to the classes.

While I am reading, I have the students focus on:
1)  the characters in the book (Night, Sun, Wind, Turtle Woman, Alligator Woman, Fish Woman)

2) lines and shapes used in the illustrations

3) colors used in the illustrations

After I am finished reading, I show them a PowerPoint that I put together with symbols for each of the the characters from the story. We talk about the Aztecs and where they were from. The majority of my school is from Mexico, so they absolutely LOVE this part!

Then they get to choose the character that they would like to illustrate.

I give the students a piece of 5 x 5 manila paper (the same size as the copper that they will get later on). I have them draw their character on the paper with the following rules:

1) it must touch all 4 sides of the paper (easier for some students than others)
2) it must have at least 1 pattern (using either shapes, lines or a combination of both)

When they finish drawing their character, they get a piece of copper and tape. I have them tape the manila paper onto the BACK of the copper (the copper is 36 gauge. It is copper on 1 side and silver on the other. I have them tape the manila paper to the silver side)

The place the copper with their drawing on top of their sketchbooks and trace their picture. For this part, we joke about how they have to use their muscles so that the picture will come through to the other side. The spend a lot of time flipping back and forth so that they can see it as it develops.

The students leave their picture taped onto their copper. I have them use their pencil and they color the image. The do not color their patterns.

When they have finished coloring their image, they flip it over and color the pattern on the copper side (this presses the pattern into the copper).

When they are completely finished, they have a bas relief of their Aztec image.

They use Sharpie markers to color the images. In the past, I have done a color lesson at this point, but I have found that letting them have freedom to use any colors makes for more dramatic end results.

These turned out so well, that I chose 1 from each of my 2nd grade classes to take to an art auction. I had them framed and it sold for almost $100. Pin It

Third Grade Illuminated Letters

Materials Needed

• copper foil
• graph paper
• pencils
• craft sticks
• permanent markers
• magazine/newspapers
Books
Magic in the Margins: A Medieval Tale of Bookmaking-W. Nikola-Lisa
Marguerite Makes a Book -Bruce Robertson
Bestiary: An Illuminated Alphabet of Medieval Beasts -Jonathan Hunt

Third grade read Marguerite Makes a Book by Bruce Robertson. We discussed the process of book-making in medieval times and compared it to how books are made today. We focused on the illuminated letters that were created and what characteristics they had.

We then looked at a variety of relief sculptures and noted how parts of the sculptures stood out and parts of them receded. They then started their own relief sculptures, using their initials and embossing a piece of copper foil.

First, they drew their initials on a piece of graph paper. I had them use graph paper to help them with measurement. It made it much easier for them to make their letters thick, using the grid. I have used a variety of different sizes, but have found that the smaller grids are more difficult for the students to use.

After they had their design ready on graph paper, they transferred it to a piece of copper foil by placing the paper over the foil and carefully tracing the initials with a pencil. I had to remind them to place a magazine or stack of newspapers under their copper so that the pencil would leave an impression.

They used popsicle sticks and their pencils to press their designs into the copper.

When their entire design was complete, we used permanent markers to add color. Pin It