Wednesday Works - 2nd Grade Monet Waterlily ponds

There are so many elements to this project but I do enjoy it.   The kids get to work on materials they haven't used before, use materials they know in a new way, and they get to paint.   That's always a favorite :)

 We start out the first class with clips from "Linnea in Monet's Garden"

                                       

 Linnea in Monet's Garden VHS Animated on Amazon.com

Then we start coloring on coffee filters.   Anything they want but it has to be in crayola or washable markers only.   To keep them straight, we used a thin Sharpie marker on the edge to write their names.

At the end of class we wad them up and dip them in a little bit of water.   Then let them dry overnight.

To begin the painting day, students drew "string trees" or trees with one single line all bunched up to look like trees reflected into the water at the edge of a pond.  They also added some blue to the sky with the side of a crayon.

Then a color wash goes over the whole thing, as if the trees were under the water.  Also let dry overnight.

The final day was assembly.   A few lily pad leaves and our coffee filter flowers added to the surface of our ponds and we're finished. 

 The crayon "string trees" and some clouds  really make the reflections and the kids reinforce their wax-resist technique from their earlier lesson this year (Toucans - Wednesday works - 2nd grade Drawing with Children lesson - toucans)

Here's a closer look at what the crayon rubbings do to the water/sky area.   The kids loved this part the most.