One Last First Grade Lesson for 2012/2013

I really meant to write this post at the end of the school year, or close to it, but other adorable things got in the way:

Awww, our newest addition joined us June 10, 2013!
As I'm sure you can tell, he's a wonderful, sweet and perfect little guy!

Back to regular scheduled programming--I do E-Z cut monoprints with first graders at the end of the school year almost every year.  It's a great Dick Blick lesson that you can find here.  When I originally bought the E-Z cut, I thought I'd have the students carve and print, but honestly, the cost of having to replace the stuff gave me MAJOR pause.  So, cheapskate that I am, I've used the same E-Z cut for 12 or so years.

Pile of 12+ year old E-Z cut.

 

Here you can see the E-Z cut covered with old ghost images,
and the Mr. Sketch markers we use for this project.
 

I set up the room in stations/centers sort of deal, that students are very familiar with by the end of first grade.  Each student gets an E-Z cut (they measure about 4"x 5" or so) and markers at their table.  6" x 9" white paper and pencils are somewhere else (the safe spot, or on my big orange chair at the front of the room).  There's also a "cleaning table" with wet washcloths (no one but Mrs. Fresia is allowed to re-wet them and wring them out, otherwise there's LAKES forming back there) and loads of paper towels.
Students draw images (no words or numbers) directly on the E-Z cut with water-based markers,

then use a pencil (AWAY from my precious E-Z cut) to write their name in the corner of the small white paper.  They then return to their seat and hold their E-Z cut above their head, which is the visual clue for me to come lightly spritz their white paper (that's on the table in front of them) with water from my handy-dandy spray bottle.  The student then says their ABCs slowly, giving the water time to soak into the paper.  They then press their image onto the damp paper and make their print. 

 

While the print is drying, they go to the clean-up table to wipe their image off and begin again.  Students usually have 5-10 prints to take home that day.  With all the craziness at the end of the school year, I really LOVE this project.  It's a little crazy with all the up and all over the room, but you're really never going to rein all that anticipation of summer in, so just go along with it.  That's my motto, anyway!