This project was inspired by a photo I found on pinterest. Initially it was a dead-end photo but the artist reached out to me and so now I know who this awesome piece of art belongs to and she even has a tutorial on her own site for how to go about making hers. Here’s the link: a shoebox of photographs: A Tree Grows (and a paper crane update)
http://rettg.blogspot.com.au/2011/01/tree-grows-and-paper-crane-update.html
This project works perfectly to discuss warm and cool colors with my third graders. It also created a great opportunity to practice using rulers and a compass.
These pictures are my examples step by step. I’ll add pictures of their work when we are finished!
tinyartroom 
Love the idea!
Could you do this with crayons as well? Would it still look great?
My kids did use crayons. 🙂
Absolutely love this! I had to “borrow” and am in the process of doing this with my 4th graders! Thanks for the fantastic ideas!
Thanks! They are really beautiful and everyone’s turned out great hope your students enjoy it as well!
imma go make kids now so they can do this project
😂
Reblogged this on tinyartroom and commented:
I’m starting this project again this year for the 3rd graders’ Art to Remember project and they are looking great. Maybe this year I’ll actually remember to take pictures of theirs and share! 🙂
Great Idea!! I’ll try this Monday with my 4th graders! (:
Beautiful and thank-you as I, too, saw this and wondered how to “manage” it! I am wondering how you will assess the final project? Would love to hear. I am going to modify this for my grade ones (they will add the black contour lines to the already completed tree and add the colours in the blocks). What did you use for the colour – are these wax crayons? Thanks!
The objectives for this project were to correctly use the compass to create the circle, a ruler to create the grid, and understand warm and cool colors. Thats what the rubric will be based on. We used regular crayons to color.
Thank you for the update (for some reason I wasn’t notified about your reply). Loretta’s work is amazing, I am blessed to own one of her prints.
The original artist is a friend of mine and I’m sure she would appreciate it if you could mention her name and a link to her somehow. Her name is Loretta Grayson (Rett) from Australia. As a teacher I’m sure you understand about copywrite and taking others art (appropriation)
Evelyn, if you will post her website, I would love to share it! When I found the picture on Pinterest it only led to a dead-end photo. I always give credit to the artist or teacher that inspire my lessons if I know who they are. Thanks!
Hi Michelle,
I’m pleased to see that teachers are finding inspiration in my artwork! I would really appreciate a link to my blog so people can see the original work. I have a tutorial for this particular artwork that might be helpful for lesson planning.
http://rettg.blogspot.com.au/2011/01/tree-grows-and-paper-crane-update.html
Thank you!
Loretta
Thank you so much, Michelle!! This is wonderful and beautiful project for my Third Graders!
🙂 I love this project too!
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This is awesome
😀
Love this project. Thinking about doing it w/ a class of 4th graders. What are the dimensions of the squares?
They are supposed to be 1″X 1″ when I do this project with my students but you could make them whatever size you wanted.
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Great idea. Can’t wait to try it with the kids. Thank you!
Thank you I will do this with my class
This is so great. Did you use markers to color the squares? Also, how did they NOT get the background color on the tree?
We use crayons for this. I usually do it as an Art to Remember project and they say do not use color pencils but if you’re not using it for that, you could use anything you want! As for making sure they don’t go inside the tree, I just stress to them over and over again to not color the tree so the black and white will really pop out. Most of the time they listen. : )
Love the idea! My fist graders are doing it like a pro.
First Graders ROCK!
This is great! Do you have a lesson plan you can share??
this was really cool
How did you instruct the kids to vary the colors they use in the grid squares? Is it up to them? Did you have them follow a pattern you gave them? I’m trying to figure out how to get them to gradually go from the blues and purples and work into the greens at bottom.