Copyright November 2014LJGATES
Kindergarten
Leaf Turkeys:
Gather some maple leaves or any leaves. Cut off the stems. About 50 flattened for a few days under a heavy book will work. (You can do this with fresh leaves, but flattened works best.) Demonstrate drawing a turkey: large circle for the body, oval wings, medium circle for head, small circle eyes, small triangle beak; two rectangle legs, and sideways triangle feet on 9 x 12 construction paper. DO NOT draw tail feathers. Use 2 flattened leaves and turn over to the dull side. Run a stream of bottle glue down the center. Glue on for the tail feathers with the shiny side of the leaves up. You may have to overlap, but 2 will work. Use crayons to color the turkey, etc. Add a horizon line. Enjoy! :-)
Lesson Copyright 2013 LJ Gates
Kindergarten
Monochromatic Striped Turkey:
You'll need ONE crayon and white 9 x 12 paper per student.
Draw a turkey as above, except add long oval shaped tail feathers. Create horizontal stripes for the tail feathers, legs, feet and vertical stripes for wings. Use only ONE color (monochromatic) crayon to color a pattern of "stripes": brown or black or red, (whatever color they choose) in every other "stripe" on the turkey. Color in the eye and head, but leave the beak and body white. ;-)
Lesson Copyright 2013 LJ Gates
1st grade: Dress Up Turkey
Show Sonia Delaunay's fashion designs or any fashion designer. Show your example.
* Pass out scrap construction paper (see Scrap Art post).
* Pass out 12 x 18 white paper, scrap paper, scissors, glue sticks.
* Crayon (Can use brown crayon to color in rest of turkey body. )
* Button (for eye) optional
Have students draw with you with a black crayon or pencils. Draw oval for body, rectangle for neck, circle for head, small circle inside head (color in), add 2 rectangles for legs, and 2 elongated triangles for feet. Add 4-5 loops for tail feathers.
Then, let the students create. Free-hand cutting is also a technique Henri Mattisse used, so you can also show some of his work. There are great videos on youtube.
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| Pilgrim Turkey example |
2-3 grades (Even 4th and 5th like this, too)
Food Turkey:
You'll need lots of grocery ads (alcholic drinks ads, feminine products ads, removed as well as anything not school appropriate as we don't want to promote anything like this at any grade level)
12 x 18 manila drawing paper
Scissors
Glue sticks
Pencils
Buttons (for eye) optional
This was extremely successful this year for 2nd graders . (And in years past with 3rd grades).
With 12 x 18 paper in the horizontal position, draw turkey as directed above in Striped Turkey, except make a medium-large oval for the body. Use other shapes as directed above. Add tail feathers, Add a horizon line behind the turkey so he is standing on the ground.
Pass out grocery ads and let the students go wild! They must glue on whatever they cut out immediately!! *It will get lost in the pile of ads, if they don't. Be prepared for some fun looking turkeys. You'll hear, "I found chocolate; I found pizza, I found...." At one of my schools: The most interesting was a chocolate milk shake with a straw for the tail feathers; and a piece of cantaloupe for the face with a blueberry in it for the "eye" of the turkey. Others filled their turkey bodies with chocolate, pizza, paper towels (?) and other fun stuff. Lesson Copyright 2013 LJGates :-D
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| 5th graders with their food collage turkeys |
4th-5th grades
Thanksgiving Party in an Elevator
12 x 18 white drawing paper
Pencil
Colored Pencils/Markers
This has been used even with high schoolers and they loved it. I used it with 5th graders.
Have students discuss their best Thanksgiving memories, food, etc. Then have them imagine having a Thanksgiving party in an elevator. Have them draw on paper that is in the vertical (up and down) position. What are they doing at the party? Who is with them? What are they eating? Be as creative as possible.
Have them share their "party" drawing with the class. Be prepared for laughs.
P.S. When I did this at the high school level, one boy did a grill with flames, hot dogs, etc., When I asked him how could tell it was in an elevator, he said," What elevator?" I said, "Didn't you read the assignment on the board?" "Huh? Elevator, he said, oh..." And he quickly drew in some doors, buttons, etc. LOL. We all had a good laugh. Lesson credit: Incredible Art Dept online. I adapted it. :-K
