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Echo Sand Art Inspired by Haiku Poetry

  • Art & Art History
  • Books & Language Arts
  • Sensory Play
  • Grades 4-5

Use sand as a colorful material on a flat surface as used here in an echo art leaf. 

Materials



Paintbrushes
Canvas (optional)

Small Dish for Glue

Scrap Paper

Pencil

Glue

Instructions



Step  1.

Gather your supplies. 

Step  1.

Gather your supplies. 

Step  2.

Draw an image of a leaf in the middle of your board. 

Step  2.

Draw an image of a leaf in the middle of your board. 

Step  3.

Draw another larger leaf around the first one you drew. Follow the original leaf shape as your guide. This created an echo of the first leaf. 

Step  3.

Draw another larger leaf around the first one you drew. Follow the original leaf shape as your guide. This created an echo of the first leaf. 

Step  4.

Continue echoing the leaf shape as larger shapes around your page If the echo goes off the paper, pick up the drawing on the other side. 

Step  4.

Continue echoing the leaf shape as larger shapes around your page If the echo goes off the paper, pick up the drawing on the other side. 

Step  5.

Once your drawing is complete, choose the colors you want to use for the design. Use your pencil to mark the colors in the areas of your drawing as a guide. You can abbreviate if you want.

 

For example, write a “B” for the color blue 

Step  5.

Once your drawing is complete, choose the colors you want to use for the design. Use your pencil to mark the colors in the areas of your drawing as a guide. You can abbreviate if you want.

 

For example, write a “B” for the color blue 

Step  6.

Prepare your area. Lay your artwork on a piece of scrap paper. Pour a small amount of glue onto a disposal plate or tray. 

Step  6.

Prepare your area. Lay your artwork on a piece of scrap paper. Pour a small amount of glue onto a disposal plate or tray. 

Step  7.

Using your paintbrush, brush glue onto the original leaf in the middle. Make sure to cover the whole area well. 

Step  7.

Using your paintbrush, brush glue onto the original leaf in the middle. Make sure to cover the whole area well. 

Step  8.

Snip the end of your bag of sand so it’s ready to pour. Then, pour the colored sand onto the glue-covered area. If it pours outside the glued area, it’s okay! The sand will only stick to the glue. 

Step  8.

Snip the end of your bag of sand so it’s ready to pour. Then, pour the colored sand onto the glue-covered area. If it pours outside the glued area, it’s okay! The sand will only stick to the glue. 

Step  9.

Let it dry completely. Then lift your artwork and pour the sand off onto the piece of scrap paper. 

Step  9.

Let it dry completely. Then lift your artwork and pour the sand off onto the piece of scrap paper. 

Step  10.

Use the scrap paper to funnel the extra sand back into the bag. 

Step  10.

Use the scrap paper to funnel the extra sand back into the bag. 

Step  11.

Repeat Steps 7-10 with the second largest shape of your design. 

Step  11.

Repeat Steps 7-10 with the second largest shape of your design. 

Step  12.

Repeat Steps 7-10 with each additional larger shape, take care to only put glue on one shaped area at a time. Keep adding glue and sand until you have completed your echo sand art design. 

Step  12.

Repeat Steps 7-10 with each additional larger shape, take care to only put glue on one shaped area at a time. Keep adding glue and sand until you have completed your echo sand art design. 

Encourage students to create colorful echo art and learn about nature-themed poetry in the form of haikus!

What is a Haiku? A traditional form of Japanese poetry based on the flow and pattern of syllables in three lines. The first and third lines of a haiku have 5 syllables while the second line has 7 syllables.

 

What is echo art? It’s a great technique to design and repeat patterns along with hand-eye coordinations. Like a haiku, echo art is created with a rhythm of repeating shapes.

Ask your class to write a haiku, then have the students create their own echo art project based on the topic of their haiku.

 

For example:

Leaves fall in autumn.

They fall and float to the ground.

Rake them up at once!