Supplies:

• Colorful construction paper (3 per student)
• Xacto knives

Downloadable Sign-out Sheet: X-Acto Knife Safety

I love this project because the materials are so simple, but the results are stunning! I started by having my students sketch their design onto the back of the paper. I showed them how to measure a border that would hold their design together.

Before they started sketching, I showed them examples of Movement in artwork. I explained that their sketch should move the viewer’s eye around their art.

When they were ready to start cutting out their design, I had them check out an Xacto knife from me. In order to make sure all of the knives were accounted for, I taped numbers onto each one. When I handed a knife to a student, I would write the number next to their name. When they turned it back into me I would sign my initials over the number. Before they could check out a knife for the first time, each student signed that they understood the Safety Rules on the check-out sheet. (Downloadable Sign-out Sheet: X-Acto Knife Safety.)

After they finished cutting the design out of their first paper, my students sketched another design on a second sheet. Once they had carved that design out also, they chose a solid paper to use as the background. Before they decided what order to glue them in, we discussed the Principle of Balance. Students would arrange and re-arrange their art to see which order looked the most balanced.

I got the idea for this project from this website.