Lesson Plan Title : The Body Picture

Age Range: Kindergarten through Grade 2 (Early Elementary)

Overview and Purpose: This art activity has students working in teams of three to measure and cut paper, yarn, or ribbon into different lengths. The lengths are based on measurements of the students' body parts. The design is up to the students; they can stretch the lengths out straight, wrap them around the paper, or create a pattern.

Objective: The student will be able to:

1. measure another child's body or parts of his body using yarn or paper and scissors.

2. create a picture with the yarn or paper that is cut into varying lengths.

Resources:

3-4 foot length of butcher paper for every three students

Several spools of yarn, twine, and ribbon

Several rolls of paper

Scissors

Tape and/or glue

Activities:

Divide the class into groups of three. Have each one choose one student to be measured, one to do the measuring, and one to do the cutting. The group should measure different parts of the body using the yarn, ribbon, and/or paper. After they cut a length of material, they should tape or glue it to the paper. They should all take turns at each job and continue until they feel their picture is finished.

After all the groups are done, come back together as a group and talk about the pictures. The students will enjoy explaining what they made and which pieces were used to measure which child.

***A word of caution: If students are measured around their waist or other body parts, make sure there are no unkind words said about the size of the measurements.***

Wrap Up:

This lesson is an excellent one to use when a measurement unit is being taught in math. Students can record or graph the measurement of each piece before they put it on the picture or chart how many times each part of the body is measured.