toothpaste batiks 1st grade lesson

1st grade toothpaste African batiks 

 Have you see all the posts on toothpaste-lotion batiks? I got the directions from  http://plbrown.blogspot.com/2016/04/my-four-dragonwing-arts-students-just.html?m=1.
I introduced this lesson by reviewing the various lines we have discussed and then we  looked for lines, patterns and shapes in photos of  African batiks.
Students then drew patterns and lines with a pencil on copier paper. After they were please with their designs (and to my approval) they traced over the patterns with a black permanent marker.
My first graders then placed their piece of fabric over their designs and traced over it with our toothpaste-lotion mixture. I decided to call our mixture a concoction. I purchased the fabric squares from Amazon. A pack of 42 was around $10.00. 

I bought the lotion at the Dollar Tree and I ordered the toothpaste from Amazon. I used Aim toothpaste and then a generic white toothpaste. I liked the plain white generic toothpaste the best. I used half and half with a little less lotion.

I recommend having the children trace their fabric onto a heavy piece of cardboard or a tray. I bought enough trays for each student years ago and they come in so handy for various projects. When the students were done tracing over their lines with the concoction I had them bring me their trays and then I transferred them onto  the drying rack ( I put poster board on the racks to keep them from falling through).

 Our room smelled so minty fresh!
On day two we discussed warm and cool colors and what colors would look good together. We used Dick Blick's premium tempera paint (don't use washable paint or the colors will rinse out). Remind children to paint on the concoction side!

 On day three students rinsed off the concoction (toothpaste and lotion). I put tubs of water on each of the children's tables and instructed them to rinse the concoction off with their hands. This worked great and went quickly but I found that the lines weren't as white since they were getting stained from the dirty water.  

So for the next eight classes I had them rinse them in the sink. This took longer but I think the lines were whiter. I just had the students work on another project and called them back to the sinks when it was their turn. I had one soaking (concoction side down) in the sink while the other student rinsed it under the running water. 

After they dried I took them home and ironed all of them (yes over 230) but it didn't take long. The students loved this lesson.

1st grade African collage paper masks

1st grade African paper collage masks 

I used Roylco blank paper masks 11" x 15" for this lesson for my first graders. They were around $11 for a pack of 20.  I bought enough for each student but  next year I will have the students trace them onto card stock or heavier paper and cut them out (save my school budget!). 

On the first day I showed various photos of African masks and discussed the meanings behind each one.

Helmet Mask (hemba)
early to mid-20th century

Unattributed Suku Artist
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Cincinnati Art Museum

Students then had a choice of either brown or red washable tempera paint to paint their mask. 

On Day Two students used oil pastels to add designs to their masks. We discussed how important it was to create symmetry in their art. 

On day three students added raffia, shells and feathers. We assembled the raffia on the back first. I went around and taped it for them. Students at this age would get frustrated if they taped the raffia themselves (and waste a lot of tape!). 

Yes we had raffia everywhere!!!

The last step was to staple the top. Here is a photo of before and after the staple. 

Before the staple. 

And after we stapled it. 

Students loved this project. It was really messy on the last day (with all the raffia) but the results were awesome!!