Personal Mandala

The Essential Question How can students represent the self through design and color?

Objective
Students will create a radially symmetrical design with a style and color that reflects themselves.

Materials
pencils, erasers, 2½ x 7" (6 x 18 cm) paper, rulers, watercolor paper, watercolor paint, water cups, 12 x 12" (30 x 30 cm) watercolor paper

Procedures
1. Have students create a stencil using their name and a piece of 2½ x 7" paper. Students first fold the paper in half, then write their names along the fold. Students cut around their names while the paper is folded, loosely following the contour of the letters. For a more intricate design, students can cut some small shapes along the fold.
2. Students use a ruler to find the center of a 12 x 12" paper. Students then lightly draw four lines to divide the paper diagonally, vertically, and horizontally.
3. Students place their unfolded name stencil on the dot in the middle of the paper where the lines intersect. They align the fold of the stencil along each of the lines, tracing the stencil on all the lines rotating around the center.
4. The stencil will create overlapping lines and shapes. Students will edit and simplif y their pencil marks in the design to restore symmetry and closed spaces to the design.
5. Students then choose a color palette that best reflects their personality, then paint the shapes in their design, keeping the placement of colors symmetrical throughout.

Assessment
Students complete a self-reflection and participate in a group critique.

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