Collages

Teaching children that they can create by combining different elements is one of the benefits of learning about collages. Collages are a hands on activity that can help children understand more visually. Collages can be used to demonstrate, math, geography, history, language arts, poetry and the arts. Collages are a fun way to introduce children to art and to open up their thoughts about writing stories. Two artists that the children can learn about that used collages in their artwork are [|Romare Bearden] and [|Matisse]both of these artists shared stories with their art. Starting with a collage is a great way to help children make creative stories. By creating the collage they are taking random pictures and words and using them to make a story. The children can start with the interactive [|Destination Modern Art] This site takes them through a museum that will give them ideas on what they want to use in their collage. Have the children spend time learning about Romare Bearden. About the site: (1) Using the interactive Destination Modern Art, is a children can fly to a Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art with a alien as a guide. The guide takes the child through the museum and the child can select a painting or a piece of art. (2) The child will select the collage by Romare Bearden. (3) By clicking on the painting the next screen will give them 5 options. (4) By clicking on the first icon the child can make their own collage and print it out. (5) The second icon has the child search for images in the collage by Romare Bearden. (6) The third icon has the child writing a story about the collage they see, this can also be printed out. (7) The fourth icon the child can click on is information about the artist. (8) The last icon is asking the child to make their own collage. (1) (2) (3) (5) (6) (7) (8)

The children can also use the web 2.0 application [|KerPoof] (collage sample) This is an application that allows the child to select a background, then add images and words. (shown a sample of the program using words and pictures relating to the ocean) After the child is completed have them print out their collage and write a story using the words and pictures they selected.

• Have the child do a collage with numbers and use as part of a math lesson plan • Collages can be used as a spelling tool • Child could use the collage to write a small book to understand a book layout • The collage could be used in a presentation • Children could make collages as a tool to help them talk about a project • History, artists, creative thinking, color, design, use of materials
 * Classroom Applications:**