HIGH SCHOOL

Keri Reynolds

Many students, especially at the secondary level, are preoccupied with how their finished artwork will look and how it will be perceived by others. This disposition leads students to focus on producing realistic-looking works of art that represent tangible things that they are familiar with. When students focus on creating realistic-looking products, they often miss out on experiencing the creative process.

Working with Limited Materials
For this lesson, I wanted students to be present in the moment while they were making art. I decided to limit their materials to only paper, scissors, and glue. I chose paper because it is a simple and versatile material that can be manipulated and transformed in a variety of ways.

At the start of the lesson, I provided each student with one sheet of white paper and one sheet of black construction paper and asked them to create a two-dimensional design using both sheets of paper. Students were free to tear, cut, and arrange their papers using glue and scissors as long as they used all parts of each sheet of paper in their design.

Although students used the same materials, each design was unique and revealed insights into their thinking during the process of making.

Connecting Process with Prior Knowledge
Working with limited materials challenged students to experiment with multiple possibilities and compositional arrangements prior to gluing their designs. Trying out and formulating multiple possibilities gave students opportunities to connect the process of manipulating and arranging the materials with their prior knowledge. For example, several students chose to incorporate the use of balance into their compositions by arranging their designs symmetrically or asymmetrically to balance out the areas of positive and negative space created by the papers. Students also experimented with creating and combining a variety of geometric and organic shapes into their designs.

Closure and Reflection
After finishing their designs, students displayed them on the classroom wall to share with their peers. We discussed and reflected about the importance of playing and experimenting with materials prior to settling on a final idea or product. The collective display of artwork illustrated how each student approached the challenge differently. Although students used the same materials, each design was unique and revealed insights into their thinking during the process of making.

Providing opportunities for students to slow down and be present in the art-making process is a refreshing change that enables them to develop mindfulness and recognize the value of process in creating a work of art.

Keri Reynolds is district art lead and an art educator at Kerr High School in Houston, Texas. kereynol@ga.aliefisd.net

Playing with Paper