MY LITTLE LEAF BOOK – Shape, Contrast, Pattern

Students will be able to:

• create a small book of 5 different leaf stencil prints;
• create 5 different patterns and explain their rules;
• write about their leaves and make number connections;
• create 5 questions about the information in their books; 
• demonstrate technical accomplishment and creativity.

Have students:

• use a similar technique to make small books about geometric and organic shapes;
• share their books with another class, and teach a peer how to make stencil prints;
• explore other ways to make stencil prints, for example, by using the Greetings lesson plan available on this website.

1. Gather and make available books about fall and Canadian trees, for example, Trees in Fall, by Jenna Lee Gleisner; Autumn is here!, by Heidi Pross Gray; Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn, by Kenard Pak; We're Going on a Leaf Hunt, by Steve Metzger, and Miki Sakamoto; Look What I Did with a Leaf!, by Morteza E. Sohi; Leaf Man, by Lois Ehlert; Fletcher and the Falling Leaves, by Julia Rawlinson, and Tiphanie Beeke; The First Red Maple Leaf, by Ludmila Zeman; and Maple Trees, by Rebecca Stromstad Glaser.
2. Provide time for students to read the books and share ideas about fall.
3. Download and display the Shape, Contrast and Repetition Posters available on this website.
4. Review, or introduce the idea of contrast by showing some examples of colour contrast.
5. Review the concept of pattern and have students practice making patterns using the Patterns worksheet. (Downloads – Pattern_Worksheet.pdf)
6. Teach students how to make an 8-page book from a single sheet of paper. (Downloads – 8_PageBook.pdf)
7. Go on a nature walk and gather different kinds and sizes of leaves.
8. Press and laminate the leaves.

1. Have students share their leaves and tell about where they found them.
2. Show students your sample book.
3. Ask students to guess how you made the stencil prints.
4. Demonstrate how to make the print.
5. Explain the difference between positive and negative shapes pointing out the shapes in your print.
   - the positive shape is the object – the leaf
   - the negative shape is the shape around the leaf – the background
6. Introduce the challenge.

1. Place students into partners.
2. Ask them to: 
   - Share their books and take turns answering the questions they have created.
   - Discuss the things that are especially effective in their books and why.
   - Talk about what they found difficult and what they found easy to do.
3. Share ideas with the whole class. 
4. Ask students to tell how they felt about doing this project.

1. Observe students as they work  – thoughtful focus, discriminating, seeking more information, elaborating, experimenting.
2. Observe students as they discuss the books and answer each other's questions – active listening, insightful contributions, supporting ideas with evidence found in the artwork and from personal experience.
3. Use a checklist to track progress. (Downloads – LeafBook_tracking.pdf)
4. Have students use the self-assessment form to evaluate their work. (Downloads – LeafBook_self-assessment.pdf)