Multi-Media Action People

California Standards ask that 4th graders use accurate proportions to create a figure drawing and to  use complementary colors to show contrast and emphasis. With that in mind students created a background using complementary colors for floors and ceilings and neutral colors for their action figures in this project. Before starting in, students viewed silhouettes of action figures and paintings by Hoyes and Haring on the Smartboard.

In the past I have used paper pieces to help children "build" their human figures. See here. This year I tried a similar process, except kids used pipe cleaners (which they bent to create elbows and knees) for arms and legs. I liked this a LOT better. In the past, some kids would neglect to use two paper pieces for arms/legs. Using the pipe cleaners took care of that problem (almost) totally!!

The project took two 45-min. sessions. Students created the backgrounds with markers (for the floor) and paint for ceilings and walls. The ceiling had to be the complementary color of the floor. Side walls were kids' choices.

On Day 2 children stapled 3 papers together (black, newspaper and white), laid out their head, body, arm and leg pieces, drew around their body using a contour line and then cut it out. Finally, they glued their action figure(s) on their background, overlapping. Some students used small pieces of foam core board under the black construction paper body to raise it from the background for added emphasis.

These ALMOST make me want to get up and turn somersaults or just dance!!