Making Science Beautiful: Nature Print Silk Suncatchers
My students need class sets of Chinese silk and Nature print dyes to start off the school year with a project that combines the beauty of art with science learning.
Last year while studying the Art of Asia, my students looked at pictures of colorful Chinese and Japanese silk scarves from a book I borrowed from the library. This year I want to give them the experience of making their own silk paintings in art class.
I teach Visual Art at a school that has over 98% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch funding, in a community where the poverty level is 60%.
There are about 400 students at my school in grades 1-6 and the budget for my art classroom is $500 per year. Unfortunately that is over one dollar per student, for the entire year, which cannot provide for projects that require many new art materials. We get by with lots of recycled materials, but this year I would like to start off the year with a project that will allow each student to create a beautiful silk painting. My students are very curious and creative and I know they will enjoy gathering leaves to place on our silk sun catchers and blending the colors with a new paintbrushes, ones that are not falling apart.
My Project
When we learned about Chinese and Japanese silk scarves last year during our unit on Art of Asia, I remember lots of my students saying, "I wish I could go to China and paint silk!" This Nature Print Silk Suncatcher project will enable these dreams to come true. We will use dye to blend colors on silk hoops, creating beautiful designs. It will also be linked to their learning in science class (botanical studies), because we will be collecting leaves to print shapes onto our silk sun catchers. We will talk about how silk is made by silk worms, as well so students will understand how valuable the silk material is (and yet finally accessible to them)!
We will be able to display our silk sun catchers in the windows of classrooms all throughout our school- showing everyone that our students are true creative artists!
My students will thank you for brightening their worlds and their classrooms by enabling them to create silk sun catchers.
This art project will inspire the students to think creatively about what materials can be made into art by showing them that things found in nature (like leaves) can help to create a magnificent piece of work.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Toeller and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.