this station took turns documenting their work with pictures and video on the school iPads. Those are the pictures seen here.
K-1: Station 2: Marker and Pipette Tie Dye
I like to surprise students, so I showed them my marker covered coffee filter and had them watch the water spread the color out. Then, we talked about the steps they needed to do to get the pipettes. 1. They grabbed a coffee filter and a plain white paper. 2. They wrote their name with black crayon. 3. They added lots of colors with the markers.
In our science closet, we had a lot of extra pipettes from past years’ stock, so I borrowed about 25 to use in Art Labs. We learned how to use them in 3 steps, “Squeeze, Dip, Let Go!” I mention that the water goes into the pipette because we squeezed the air out and the pipette is trying to fill it up, but they are usually too excited to care about that tidbit. They also don’t pay much mind to the fine motor skills that they are developing. I highly recommend trading the markers for the pipettes so students don’t try to color on the wet filters (ruining the markers). It’s also best to write your name on the coffee filter, in case the bottom paper gets separated.
When the pipettes were in action, I would mention how the colors are blending together and the water is making them more transparent. I ask what new colors we’ve made and what we should do differently on the next one. The best thing about coffee filter tie dye is a 200 filters cost $1.50. I’ve also used this project for free art day and colorful paper flowers. If you don’t have pipettes, use a dollar store spray bottle.
2-3: Station 2: Dippity Dye Paper and Pipette Tie Dye
I can trust the older ones with some messier materials, so 2nd and 3rd were allowed to use watered down tempra paint and dippity dye paper, which is special absorbent paper for crafts. They only used the 3 primary colors and plain water for their tie dye. I showed them the same steps for the pipettes and let them go to town. We would point out the secondary colors when they were created and observe how water changed the color.
Students wrote names with crayon on the special paper and had a plain paper underneath to help soak up extra water and make it easier to put to on the drying rack. The “after image” on the paper below is just as cool. Prepare for messy clean up.
Conclusion and Reflection Discussion
We were cleaned up with 10 min to spare each class. K-1 would get 3 small squares of the primary colored cellophane to bring home. We used them to see our primary colors and talk about transparency. Students could look through them, but when all three were layered, they had a tougher time. We connected that layering transparent materials makes it harder to see through. When the students spoke about the water and markers, we connect that adding clear water made the “opaque” colors transparent. I know that for some- the concept goes over their head, but its all about building the platform for future connections.
2-3 really do grasp onto the idea that we can change transparency to the point of opaqueness. We talk more about how colors mix and connect with primary meaning, “no colors can mix to make red, blue, or yellow.” Yes, I’m aware that’s not entirely true in the RGB and CMYK perspective, but it is in the Elementary Paint Mixing world. Color, Light, and the way that we see is something I save for 4th-6th.