Art teacher's can all agree that we don't seem to get enough time with our students. I'm lucky enough to get about 40 class periods with my tiny humans. Every once in awhile we have a rehearsal, or guest, or some other distraction that keeps me from having a normal class. On days like these I pull out quick lessons so that I don't get ahead of other classes. For the past few years this has become my go-to during the last week of school where we need to create but portfolios have gone home. It's simple and always yields something beautiful!

Materials:
+ white paper or journal
+ pencil and eraser
+ ruler
+ markers/coloring tools

I gather my students around a table for a quick demo and repeat the directions when they go back to their table. Start with two dots, that aren’t far apart, in the middle of the paper and use the ruler to connect them. Trace that line with a color so that your starting points stand out. You can see the green line below.

Next, draw about a few dots above that line. I give a low number to help prevent utter confusion. For the students' who can't handle even that many dots I reassure them that it's perfectly fine to have less. As for the odd number, odd numbered items are more appealing to the eye.

The trick is to use the ruler to line up a starting dot with one of the new dots. Draw a straight line to connect the two. Then connect the new dot to the second starting dot. This leaves you with a triangle. Some kids come up with creative alternatives to my directions and I let it happen. As long as they're using their ruler to try to create straight lines I'm happy. Once all of the dots have been connected, it's time to color. They let loose and really enjoy coloring in their creations!

This would make a great lesson to leave for a sub: It doesn't require many materials, it's challenging, and it gets your students to work with rulers. A total win-win situation. Happy making!

What are some of your go-to lessons for the odd day at school?

Starburst Drawings