Henna Hands.

Sometimes I try to design a project around the interests of the grade I'm working with.  What have I noticed 3rd graders love?  Doodling.  And temporary tattoos.

To study rhythm, line, detail, pattern, and while learning about the country of India, 3rd graders created their own Henna Hands project.  We talked about how Henna is often used by people in India (and the middle east) for dyeing purposes and special occasions.  Henna comes from a plant, is applied to the skin as a paste in unique and detailed designs, is left to dry, washed off, and dyes the skin for 2-3 weeks, leaving a temporary tattoo.  First each student traced their hands onto white paper.  To create a patterned fabric as their background, they first drew a grid, and then designed each box in a similar way to show repetition.  Next: doodling.  They students really enjoyed this -- and some of them went way beyond what I was expecting!  They took their time and it shows in the quality of their final product.

Many of these are still in process, but I'm excited to see them finished up soon!