SchoolArts - April 2009

Elementary Studio Lesson

Fun & Functional

Shopping Bags

Barbara Downing Owen

This past year, in conjunction with my school’s interest in becoming more “green,” I collaborated with science teachers Lee Osterling and Jeny Randall to research a source for inexpensive, sturdy, reusable grocery bags.

The bags we found cost about

$250 per 200 (including shipping), were made of a synthetic fiber, and were 13½ x 12½ x 8½" ( 33. 75 x 31. 25 x 21. 25 cm), with good-sized handles.

We were grateful that our school provided financial suppor ^et^dfo^fir^nancialthis pr oject.

Mimi Brown, grade one.

Designing Bags

My plan was to have each grade design a bag using a different design concept and possibly different art media. I talked with each grade about the advantages of using reusable bags rather than paper or plastic bags.

First Grade

The first-grade theme was pattern.

I put out stamp-printing tools— sponges, corks, spools, and cardboard

—and discussed the different kinds of patterns that could be created with

of atter

them. We talked about “AAA” pat-

terns that could be created with one

tool, “ABABAB” patterns that
would use one too l in
alternating orient a-

tion or two tools taking turns. We talked about combinations of tools, for example, a smaller one printed inside or on top of a larger one.

Second Grade

Second-graders were more familiar
with the stamp-printing tools and
techniques, so their challenge was to
create a symmetrical mandala design.
They remembered from an earlier
project that it is important to think
about the tool they choose for the
center print, then to build out from
that initial print by remembering to
think about north, south, east, and
west as they