Perfect Square
TIP: Once you have read this book, share square pieces of paper with your students and brainstorm different ideas of what they could do to the paper to change them.
- How can you use tools or your hands to change the shape?
- How can you rearrange the shapes to create a story?
- What new shapes do you notice in the pieces? Rearrange them and look for new shapes.
Either glue down the shapes or put them in an envelope so they can be rearranged again and again.
See how Jeffrey Gibson uses layering of shapes here!
How can a single piece of paper inspire an artwork or a story? In this story, a perfect square goes through multiple transformations to create different shapes, images, and a place!
Prompting Questions:
- What other things could you do to change the shape of the square?
- How can a new thing come from changing an old thing?
- Describe a time you did this!
Related Creative Activities
Animals, Colors, and Senses, Oh My!
Connect Lines and Shapes
Interact to Mix Colors
Materials Matter
Children will explore the movement and texture of fabric and other materials through hands-on group and individual activities. They will then make an all-class fabric “sculpture” and share their creation with others through pictures.
Family Stories
This lesson focuses on Roxanne Swentzell’s sculpture Mud Woman Rolls On to evoke thoughts about families and their stories. Students create their own picture story about family.
What Does Mud Have to Do With It?
Students learn about using common materials from the earth to create art. After spending time examining the materials used by Roxanne Swentzell and learning about her process and intent for Mud Woman Rolls On, students experiment with dirt, sand, water, and straw to gain a real world experience using materials like those used by the artist.
