Wednesday, October 3, 2012

6th Grade Koi Fish Printmaking

Last year, I did a printmaking project with my 6th graders, where they designed their own koi fish after looking at Chinese designs. While I had some students do a great job, it was like pulling teeth to get the kids to draw a koi fish! Apparently, it was "too hard".

This year, I tried the lesson again, with a simple difference: I made a "how to draw a koi fish" board. It shows the steps to make a simple koi fish, but I encouraged the students to change the scales, change the face, change the fins, etc. And, all of them did! They seemed to enjoy the project, and the results were wonderful.











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8 comments:

  1. AndreaOctober 3, 2012 at 9:47 AM

    Way to go!!! I just finished printmaking with my high schoolers and though it was my first try at it, it won't be my last. The last time you posted about your experience I was so inspired and this posting continues to make me feel the same way!

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    1. Jessica YoungOctober 3, 2012 at 1:34 PM

      Thanks! I am really glad my students' work inspired you :). Printmaking can be so much fun!

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  2. Elizabeth October 3, 2012 at 2:26 PM

    Your students have done a fantastic job! I'm especially taken with the one with waves (6th from the top) :)

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  3. Aimee FresiaOctober 4, 2012 at 7:24 PM

    OMG--I'm totally going to do this with my 6th graders! Great idea!

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  4. ekOctober 9, 2012 at 8:16 PM

    Check out this how to draw Koi fish video. I would be an excellent addition to this project


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shJdm6OscRs&feature=share&list=PLTH7Llw_nEyJnUzWOI43-PgKzN-pJqkPp

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  5. NIKKI ANovember 20, 2012 at 2:46 PM

    How large is each piece of paper that the students printed their koi onto?

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    1. Jessica YoungNovember 20, 2012 at 8:02 PM

      Nikki, each paper is 4 1/2 by 6 inches. I cut the sheets of foam in quarters to cut down costs. But, the smaller size is more manageable for elementary students, and it's easy to make multiples at this size :).

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