Nature Printmaking

This lesson, taught by Elissa and Tonya, allowed students to create their own "stamp" using foam boards, carving tools, and colored ink.  At the beginning of the lesson, the teachers showed students a PowerPoint which had examples of printmaking and a history of the technique.  Next, they instructed students how to create a sketch on the foam paper of a nature scene.  Once the students finished sketching out their nature scenes, the teacher told them to come over to the ink station and watch how the ink is rolled onto the "stamp" or foam sketch.  Next, the students were able to choose ink and a background which were complimentary colors.  Finally, the students rolled the ink onto their foam board and turned it over and stamped it onto the piece of construction paper.  The students were left with a stamp of their foam board on their construction paper.  Students created their own print as well as their own printmaking tools.

An extension activity that could be done with this project would be to have the students write a poem about their artwork.  They could write a haiku that focuses on their picture or nature in general.  The teacher could then display the prints along with the poems.