Mountain Landscape Collages

Because I travel around the school to the classrooms for art class I try to use similar materials or resources such as images and handouts for various classes and differentiate the lessons for other grades. 

This 2nd grade project developed out of the 5th grade Majestic Mountains lesson. 

The first two parts of the project were broken up into the "mountain skyline" and a resist painting that will be used later for the sky background. 

I used gray paper for the mountains- the students drew a mountain skyline - after discussing what true mountains look like and how zig zag lines or triangles are "symbols" for mountains rather than being actual mountain.  

They cut out the mountain line and then dotted the top with white tempera painted for snow. 

For the sky painting I had them draw with white crayon on white paper. 

Crumple the paper (which they love to do). 

And paint a wash with tempera cakes (I used turquoise and royal blue)

The magical nature of white crayon appearing through water-based paint never gets old!!

I stapled the gray mountains to the blue backgrounds.  

Then the students created hot air balloons for the sky and also drew landscapes closer in view at the bottom.  We discussed how to make parts of the picture look closer and farther away.  The kids glue tissue paper to make textural water, grass, trees, etc at the bottom.