Hand Books

Examples from 8th Grade Class

Creative Writing Prompt:

What do stories would your hands tell if they could talk? Would they tell about people they have met and hands they have shook? Would they tell about dirty finger nails or a broken finger? Would they tell about jewelry they like to wear? Spend five minutes creating several complete sentences or a story or a poem about your hands and their adventures.

Objective: Students will write on a creative writing prompt about their hands. Students will create a "handbook" for their lives incorporating drawings of their hands, designs, and personal creative writing.

Project Materials:

strips of 6x24" paper pre-cut, rulers, variety of construction paper for book covers, scissors, glue/glue sticks, variety of drawing materials, other mixed media as desired

Instruction:

Discuss some ideas from the hand stories. Show students what the project will be along with examples of contour drawings of hands, abstract, realistic, fantasy, etc.

Definitions:

Contour Drawing: a drawing that shows only the edges (contours) of objects

Abstract Art: a style of art that is not realistic. The subject can be simplified, have pieces missing, be rearranged, or have other elements altered.

Realism: the subject and style of the artwork uses lifelike elements and principles of art

Activity:

Show students how to measure and mark the paper at six inches to fold the 24" strips into thirds.

Have students mark an "x" on the paper where they will glue the construction paper covers so they know not to draw on that section.

Students will fill in the pages of their book with drawings of their hands, the story or poem from the creative writing prompt, and a variety of media on the different pages.

Interdisciplinary connections: creative writing and reading, math (measuring and folding)

Evaluation: