3rd Grade Collagraph Quote Prints

This is another one of my absolute favorite projects. I'm finding that I really enjoy lessons that are different from the usual painting/drawing norm. I work really hard to make sure I have a ceramic lesson as well as a printmaking lesson for each grade level every single year. 

This lesson was one of the last printmaking lessons I added into my curriculum. I was inspired by a middle school project over at The Calvert Canvas Blog and I adapted that idea to my 3rd grade students with a few minor changes. 

The boards are ready to go!

Each student chooses a favorite quote- either from a list I have or they may use one they already know. They then do several sketches and a peer review while they work out different ways of designing their text. After the final design is decided, students draw their quote on a piece of thin foam. They cut out their letters, then glue them backwards (with the help of a mirror) to a piece of chip board. They then use ink and brayers in order to print on a piece of construction paper. I always have my students make several prints in order to make sure they get at least one really nice finished print. 

Click here to download my lesson plan!

3rd Grade Collagraph Quote Prints

Finished board - letters placed as mirror image.

Finished print of the board above. Sweeeeeeeet.

I can't tell you enough how much I enjoy printmaking. It's just fantastic. I graduated from Columbus College of Art & Design without ever taking a single printmaking class. I was an illustration major and simply didn't have time to fit any printmaking classes into my schedule. I've slowly created a pretty good printmaking lesson for each elementary grade level I teach. This is a new lesson for this school year and I think the results speak for themselves. I got the idea from The Calvert Canvas Blog through Pinterest and modified it to fit well for my 3rd grade students. 

This has been the year of writing new lessons for each grade level. One of the goals I had this year was to create at least two new lesson plans for each grade level. It looks like I'll be able to hit my goal pretty easily. Every time I add a new lesson, it's like a little burst of fresh energy into the art program. I added this lesson for two main reasons. First, I hadn't had a 3rd grade printmaking project previous to this year. Second, collagraph printmaking was a nice step up from the 2nd grade "Wild Things" project.

The goal for this lesson was for students to choose a quote that had personal meaning. After choosing their quotes, students did two typography layout sketches, did a quick critique with a friend, then did a final sketch. Each student got a piece of foam (see the top image) and drew out their quote as block or bubble letters. They then cut them out (with me cutting insides of smaller letters with an x-acto knife) and arranged them as a mirror image of their quote on a piece of chip board. This was a pretty challenging step for many students. I think next year I'll get out a few mirrors so students can self check their work. 

Once I OK'd the mirror layout of the typography, students glued down the letters with a glue stick. I had everyone do a clear coat of acrylic medium on top in order to seal the chip board. I had dreams of them being easily cleaned off, but I realized soon after the first class printed that we wouldn't be able to save the printing boards. I do think that the acrylic helped to provide extra adhesive power for the letters. A few kids that didn't coat their work well with acrylic did loose a few letters when inking their board with a brayer. I may try substituting Elmer's glue for the glue sticks next year and skip the acrylic. I'm still super pumped about this lesson. It will be an art show star this spring. 

Click here to download my lesson plan!