Early Childhood

The Essential Questions
How can students make a design with cut-paper shapes?

Objective
Students will arrange cut-paper shapes into a balanced composition.

Materials
8 x 10" (20 x 25 cm) white paper divided into eight spaces (two rows of four 2½ x 5" [6 x 12.5 cm] rectangles), 2½ x 5" black paper rectangles and assorted color paper rectangles, assorted color geometric shapes, glue

Procedures
1. Discuss and have students identify various geometric shapes.
2. Talk about what makes a good design. Discuss color, color balance, layering, and overlapping. If time permits, share fine-art examples of balanced geometric designs.
3. Distribute the white paper pre-divided into eight rectangles (two rows of four). Then share the remaining materials.
4. Ask students to glue the black paper rectangles onto every other rectangle on the white paper, then glue various color rectangles onto the remaining spaces.
5. To complete their design, students should add various geometric shapes over the rectangles. Remind them to focus on overlapping and layering the shapes as well as color balance.

Assessment
Did students create a balanced geometric design? Was layering and overlapping used in the design?

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