Alien crayon resist: elementary.

Materials

* 12 x 18" (30.5 x46 cm)white drawing paper

* crayons

* black watercolor paint or Inida ink

Objectives

Students will:

* Use their imaginations to visualize what a being from another planet might look like.

* Use shapes that are familiar to them to represent inventive ideas.

* Create an interesting composition of alien life forms, outer-space imagery, and/or interstellar transportation vehicles.

* Use the technique of crayon resist.

Guiding Practice

"Imagine that you are outside one night and see an alien! Show us what it looks like." I posed this challenge to third graders and they responded with enthusiasm.

1. Sketch visions of science fiction on 12 x 18" (30.5 x 46 cm) white drawing paper in pencil and color with crayons. Press down harder than usual with crayons. Use any color but black They will add black to the drawing in another way.

2. Paint over the drawing with black watercolor paint. India ink also works well. The way the crayon resists the paint makes a very interesting texture that seems to suit the subject matter well.

Assesment

This assignment is a good opportunity for children to make a drawing that tells a story of their own invention. I purposely don't suggest a lot of possible scenarios, because students think of superb ones themselves. I enjoy seeing their visions of abductions, spacecraft landings, and alien visitations.

Encourage them to make any kind of fantastic creature they can imagine. I see many types of creatures in a variety of colors, some with more than one head.

The student response to the finished works is proof that this assignment does not "alien-ate" any student.

ClipCard submitted by Andrew Wales, an art teacher in Athens, Pennsylvania.