Surprising Sun Prints: Grade K-3
Materials
- Paper and pencils for sketches
- 11" x 17" paper
- White tablecloths or sheets (cut into 11" x 17" pieces, one for each student)
- Scissors
- Red, black, blue, yellow and green felt (or other colours)
- Decorative cloth in a variety of colours, motifs and textures
- Crayons, coloured pencils, pastels or felt pens
- Punch
- Laces, string or leather cord
- 8 cm x 12 cm paper (for labels)
Preparation Tasks
- Pre-cut the 11? x 17? pieces of white cloth (these are suggested dimensions only). You can purchase the sheets or tablecloths at a second-hand store, as well as the decorative cloth, which the students can cut up for their collages.
- You can also prepare a short questionnaire to help your students decide on their favorite animal, food, recreational activity, sport, friend, colour, etc.
- Sun print paper (photosensitive paper), available in some craft, photography and art supply stores, or construction paper in saturated colors (see the link "Preparation Tasks" ), an alternative that produces less striking results but is less expensive.
- 3 or 4 shallow basins of water
- Clothespins
- Sheets of plexiglas or cardboard the right size to accommodate the sun print paper (an old cardboard box, for example)
- Paper towels
- A variety of everyday objects and old photographic negatives
- Teaching materials on geometric shapes (drawings, posters, foam and plastic shapes)
- A sunny day
Preparation Tasks
- Construction paper can be used for this activity. The results will be less striking and you will achieve less variation in shades but you will still be able to explore shape and the role of light in photography. Since construction paper is generally made with dyes that are not permanent, it has a tendency to fade when exposed to a light source. You should therefore leave it enough time (a few days) near a light source, such as the windowsill of your classroom. It will of course be unnecessary to dip the prints in water (the image-fixing method for sun prints made with photosensitive paper) and the permanence of the prints will depend on the method used to store them.
- If you use photosensitive paper, it is preferable to do the activity on a sunny day, either out of doors or near the windows of your classroom, particularly if they allow a lot of light to enter.
- Please prepare the materials, basins of water and sun print paper ahead of time.
- If you are using the light from your classroom windows for this activity, it is advisable to do a few trials to find the proper exposure time.
