Line-O-Rama Extravaganza

Want a cool way to integrate paper scraps, string, glue, and various materials into sculptures showing the basic lines?  Look no farther than this line project. This lesson is a great way to review lines and class procedures.  Kids also get to work together and play so it’s a super win.

The basic lines:  straight, zig zag, curved, castle, dashed, dotted, wavy, loopy (curly), and swirl.The task:  Make a three-dimensional project incorporating all the lines we have learned how to make.

Give students the biggest paper you can. I had leftover pieces of tagboard (18 in. x 12 in.), that students were able to use as their base.  Use leftover construction paper weaving strips, or make new ones.  Then make string and glue available as well.  I had students work independently or with one other person for this project, simply because I like it when students get to work together.

I made all of these supplies available to the students and told them they needed to show all the lines in a drawn form (markers) and in a three-dimensional form.  We reviewed the concept of sculpture and we discussed ways you could make lines ‘pop” off the paper. The glue and string were made available because I counted glue dots as a “three-dimensional” line for a dotted line.  Then I stood back and watched their art projects come to life.

Students were also given a check-off list to help them keep on task. Please see it here lineorama.

As a final step, students created a clever title to show what their pieces were about.  At first, I got a lot of Rollercoaster World, Waterworld, but then I asked students to use their lines in a title.  Then I got more creative titles like Wavy Swirls, The Whole World of Lines, and Pattern Paradise.

The feedback I’ve been getting from students and their parents have been incredible.  Students talked a lot about these projects at home.  They loved the challenges.  How do you make a straight line go up? Hold it in place with another line.

These were also great talking points for parent conferences.  Lots to talk about.