So, as most of you know, this is my first year as an art teacher! Yay! I am currently employed for a year covering a leave of absense, but they are impressed and hope I can stay. Double yay!
Anyway, jump ahead. The 6th graders keep asking if we are going to do the bowl weaving project. I said I didn’t know and searched Google and came up with the project they were talking about.
So, on Friday, I had free choice with my small 6th grade group, and sat with some girls and learned this. As expected, it is fun and cool, but definitely not age appropriate for a teaching tool for 6th grade. Definitely something they could do as an early finisher or free choice.
I feel like I need to allow it in some capacity because they have been waiting to do it for years.
Anyway, I cannot in my good faith use this for teaching weaving at their level, so I found a cool Teachers Pay Teachers with paper loom weaving with patterns. That is more appropriate. (If I get to stay at this school, after a few years, I could probably drop it even lower in grade levels.) I come from a background with high art expectations–that which 4th graders would do, we could get 2nd/3rd to do.
So, I played around tonight.
The weaving:
First
Second
3rd not photographed. I found a basic origami box tutorial, and I used it to make a woven box.
The folding is tricky with the woven layers, so this may need lighter paper (I used cardstock that I had at home.)
Yes, much better. This is actual weaving and origami, so lots of skills.
Made the yellow box next.
This one I added an insert that was slightly bigger, so just stapled it in…it’s a kids project anyway.
Both together
I will bring these to school and display them so they will see them and get excited. This is much more developmentally and educationally appropriate for them.
(We did actual weaving with yarn at my old school. I don’t know if they have. They did cup weaving and bowl weaving. There’s a whole cabinet of yarn, but if they want to make something like this, I’ll oblige.)
Thanks for looking.
