Elementary

The Essential Question
How can we transform a single line into a complete picture?

Objectives
Students will use a pre-glued yarn line as the starting point for a drawing. Students will use their imagination to transform the line into an object, person, animal, or creature and use the entire page.

Materials

• 12 x 18" (30 x 46 cm) paper with a pre-glued yarn line
• crayons
• pieces of string or yarn (for demonstration/practice)

Step 1
Discuss lines with students. Ask what kinds of things lines can become in a drawing (e.g., roads, tree branches, waves, people).

Step 2
Demonstrate with a piece of string. On a flat surface, place the string to form different types of lines. Show students how one line can suggest many ideas.

Step 3
Distribute the prepared papers. Have students turn their paper in different directions to visualize what the line could be made into.

Step 4
Using the line as a starting point, have students transform the line into an object, person, animal, creature, or scene. The yarn line should become part of the subject.

Step 5
Have students complete the rest of the drawing. Encourage them to add details and backgrounds so the yarn line is incorporated into a complete picture.

Step 6
Have students color their drawings with crayons.

Assessment
Did students transform the pre-glued yarn line into a recognizable subject? Was the yarn line incorporated into a complete picture?

Wendy Libby is an art teacher for the Bangor School Department in Bangor, Maine.