FACES of the Winter Extravaganza!!!

Title of Lesson:  FACES of the Winter Extravaganza

Grades: 1^st - 6th

Teacher: ALL

Reason for Lesson:  This is an opportunity to teach each student 1^st - 6th grade how to draw facial features…eyes, nose, mouth.  These faces will hang in the gym during the Winter Extravaganza. 

Class Time: 1 – 1.25 hours

Materials:  8 ½ x 11 (paper provided by docents). Students use their own scissors, pencils, erasers, stick glue and coloring pencils.

Instructions to Lead Lesson: 

Explain to students that this lesson will take the place of the traditions squares that we’ve done for the last 5 years at PV.   Encourage the students to do their best work because their ‘art’ will hang in the gym (for all to see) during the Winter Extravaganza.

1^st – 6th: Provide each student with a pre-printed oval shape on 8 1/2 x 11 paper with small dots located as a ‘jump off’ point for the facial features.

Choice of Paper for the FACES (see below)

STEP 1: *IMPORTANT* Have each student write their NAME, GRADE and TEACHER NAME on the back of the face.

STEP 2: Using pencils, take the students step-by-step through drawing *soft eyes,

Pre-printed dots for the location of the eyes and start of the nose and mouth.

Using *soft pencil,  draw the pupils

Then the iris'

Locate four points that are on the same plane as each other.  These are the corner of the eyes.

Draw across the iris then erase the pencil marks that are outside the shape of the eye.  For the lower grades I'd recommend drawing the pupil first. Then make the four dots on the same plane and make the shape of the eye then add the iris.  Reversing these steps will minimize the amount of erasing that is necessary for the younger students.

Add eye lashes

ADD Eyebrows.  Here I showed the students different ways to create an eyebrow.  Theirs should match of course!

NOSE: Add *soft nose by making a U shape at the dot as shown here.

Add small upside down 'c's on each side of the 'U'

From there, finish the nose all the way to the bridge

MOUTH: Using the dot as the starting point make a large 'U' shape for a smile.

Close the top and bottom with a half circle on top and on the bottom.

If you want teeth to show,  draw another line just above the first 'U' shape.

Add the small 'U' shape of the upper lip, erasing any pencil marks.

Add teeth and erase any 'extra' unnecessary lines.

*soft is another way of saying ‘press lightly’ using pencil so that pencil marks can be erased later.

STEP 3: Have the students cut out faces.

Color all the features of the face.  Despite the fact that we give students the option of skin color from the card stock they still want to color the faces.  I would consider this an option but really not necessary.  Have the students focus on the features, adding freckles, glasses, etc.

STEP 4: Templates are provided for cutting out hair. 

Large sheets are provided for girls that would like long hair.  Explain that the templates are for tracing however if they would like to make hair shorter then they can ‘cut’ the paper shorter. It’s important to emphasis the CONSERVATION of paper.  Only use what they need, returning any extra paper to the pile to use again by other classes.

STEP 5: Have the students ‘glue’ their hair to their head then they’re done! Consider using Elmer's glue over a stick glue.  Depending on the glue stick, it may not allow for a strong adhesion. I found, although there is some warping with the Elmer's glue it does go away after it dries. 

STEP 6: If there is enough time then the students can ‘color’ their hair or add curls using a pencil to wrap ends.