Submitted by: Vivian Redfern - Art Educator - District 41, McCook, NE

"This is a very successful lesson. I always get good results."
-Vivian Redfern

What You Need:

• tissue paper - all colors
• thinned white glue
• paper

What You Do:

• This lesson is a literature/art lesson.

• Introduce the art of Eric Carle to the students by reading them one of his books, asking them to pay close attention to his illustrations.

• Introduce the vocabulary word illustration and tell them that illustrations are created by artists.

• Ask them how they think Eric Carle makes his pictures?

• Introduce the word collage and tell them how Eric Carle uses collage techniques to illustrate his art.

• Next, demonstrate how to create a tissue collage.

• Cut ovals from tissue paper and paint glue on the paper to paste the tissue down.

• Then paint over the top of the tissue to glue it down well.

• While demonstrating, talk about overlapping, what colors mix nicely together.

• Make a caterpillar and leave it unfinished because by then the kids have the idea and can't wait to get started.

• Let the students try and walk around the room encouraging them.