Scrappy Stuff

Collages are a great and inexpensive way to help students communicate and express their thoughts. I use collage projects across the board of subjects -  for math, science, social studies and language lessons. Materials are accessible and cheap, skill sets required are minimal, and results are tangible and creative.

Recent projects in my class include collages of domesticated vs. wild animals and arid vs. riparian land for science lessons, and historic vs. present state images for social studies. Students also create collages for non-fiction book reports. Last year for a math project the students made collages of a favorite meal, then accessed newspaper ads to price the meals and set a budget, before going to the neighborhood grocery store to 'shop' the meal on  field trip.

Collages are a great way for students who struggle with writing to express themselves. My students make a collage of their inner-life at the beginning of the year, cutting out pictures of what they deem as important goals and values. They can share this as a means of getting to know one another.

For many of my students collages offer an opportunity to interpret and analyze lessons while they hone fine motor skills in the process of selecting and cutting out pictures. I provide a diverse selection of magazines from local public libraries, which range in price from a quarter to FREE! I set time limits, because the class can get so engrossed going through the magazines HOURS can pass! When the pictures are chosen, trimmed, glued on construction paper and labeled, great class discussions can follow, further helping the class synthetize and evaluate their work.