into a relief sculpture. There were so many possibilities; glue and glitter, crayon and watercolor paint,
glue and sand, and wire sculpture were some of the choices of my students.
4.Using one of the clearest prints from
the identification section, students got
to work. Many used 12” x 18” tag board
as a base of their art. They started by
free-hand drawing their own print or
image to be made with prints, but
overhead projection systems would
have moved this along faster and would
have provided more accuracy.
5.From there, many students traced the
pencil with a white liquid glue then
added their medium, like glitter, sand or
even yarn. These results were
fascinating as a large scale concept and
instantly graphic and fun. Others used
their own fingerprints with a number of
ink pads to create beautiful graphic
scenes using hundreds of prints.
My favorite technique was the paper quilling
approach. Students began with the tagboard drawing
of their own print, then worked in small sections at a
time to apply hot glue and stand strips of paper up in
it. The contrast of using a quaint craft technique with
modern science and biology was truly engaging!
Like many of the best lesson plans, this one took
about a year to figure out the approach, pace and
materials. And like the best, it will continue to be
tweaked and redefined with each year. And with each
year will come more technology to add to the mix,
giving this an edgy techy feel that kids love. Phone
fingerprint apps, 3D sculpture, and specific secondary
themes (Mona Lisa? Mug shots? Selfportraits?)
would be an easy fit for this cool lesson, too.
Have fun,