Early Childhood

The Essential Questions
How can students use transfer printing to learn about symmetry?

Objective
Students will use transfer printing to create the head of a monster, adding various details for symmetry.

Materials
10 x 14" (25 x 35.5 cm) white paper, green tempera paint, paintbrushes, precut colored construction paper shapes or scrap paper for students to create their own, scissors, glue, Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley (Little, Brown and Company, 1992)

Procedures
1. Read the book Go Away, Big Green Monster! or watch a read-aloud on YouTube.
2. Discuss the book, then discuss monsters and what their facial features might look like.
3. Demonstrate transfer printing. Fold a sheet of paper in half and paint half a head on one side, from the fold to the end of the paper. Leave some white paper showing around the half-head shape. Refold the paper and rub to transfer the shape to the other side.
4. Have students apply the technique to create their own monster heads using green paint. Assist them individually as needed.
5. Allow students to search the precut construction paper for identical shapes, sizes, and colors for their monsterʼs eyes, ears, horns, and other details. They can also cut out their own shapes.
6. Give students time to assemble their monsters, focusing on symmetry throughout the process, before gluing their shapes down.

Assessment
Did students create a transfer print? Are the monsterʼs features symmetrical?

Wendy Libby is an art teacher at Fruit Street School in Bangor, Maine.