Math Meets Art: Watercolor Square Collage
/Have a creative learner who loves color?
If so, the black and white page of the math book may not be the WIN of the day.
I learned that lesson the hard way about thirteen years ago.
I told myself if I had another creative I would be intentional about offering math experiences which would nurture the artistic tendency of his or her brain.
Guess what? God gave me another creative!
Lesson learned; I get a do over!
Squares--black and white lines of equal sides on a page. Or, squares--colorful cut outs with sides of equal lengths.
Math matters to a creative, after all math and art have some of the same elements--shape, line, space. Add a bit of color, some construction paper, glue, and scissors and math may become of the highlight of the day!
Yesterday, math was the highlight in our house!
After talking about rectangles--two short sides and two long sides, four in all--and squares--four sides of equal length--we did a quick look around the living room and dining room for rectangles and squares.
Windows.
Glass panels in the kitchen cabinet.
Cloth napkins.
Pages in a book.
Checks in the tablecloth.
While hunting an older learner asked, "What do you call the distance around the window? I forgot."
Perimeter.
Another discussion ensued; children were curious. I had their attention.
I excused myself to the junk box (who doesn't have one of those!) in the laundry room and returned with a measuring tape and a tape measure. We talked about the differences between the tools. One was flexible, one rigid. Reviewed how the tools were used. Each had advantages and disadvantages depending on what was being measured.
Learners asked to play with the measuring tools.
They
- measured the perimeter of the math book
- measured the height of the dining table
- measured the length of the computer keyboard
- measured the width of the window sill
- measured the circumference of my coffee cup
After moving and measuring with excitement, I introduced my idea.
Let's combine math and art!
I gathered a watercolor tablet of paper (rectangular!), the watercolor box (it was rectangular, too!), several brushes, a napkin for blotting (square!), and a cup of water to clean brushes.
Handing each learner a sheet of watercolor paper, I instructed them to paint, anything, anyway they desired. Once painted and dried, we cut squares.
The squares became a mosaic.
My artist met math, and spread her enthusiasm to others in the room!
I am thankful for a second chance at teaching a creative learner.
