Create unique gold jewelry with nature's finest leaves. Add Crayola® Model Magic® and gold Premier Tempera for a striking keepsake or gift.

• 1.

  With an adult supervisor, collect tiny fallen leaves of various shapes and textures. Choose only those that are safe to handle. Wash your hands when you come indoors.

• 2.

  Choose one leaf. Flatten a small piece of Crayola Model Magic. Shape it to fit the form of your leaf. Cover your art area with newspaper.

• 3.

  To make a pin: Paint the back of your leaf with gold Crayola Premier Tempera and Paint Brushes. Firmly press or roll it into the Model Magic. Carefully peel the leaf away. Dry overnight. On the back, attach a jewelry pin or safety pin with Crayola School Glue. Dry before wearing.

• 4.

  To make a pendant: Place a dab of glue on the back of your leaf. Press it firmly into your Model Magic. Brush a light coat of gold tempera on top of the leaf and around the edges. Dry. Punch a hole in the pendant. Thread ribbon through the opening and tie before wearing. For younger students, attach ends together with clear adhesive tape.

Standards

• LA: Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
• LA: Read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of grade level text's complexity band independently and proficiently.
• LA: Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
• LA: Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.
• LA: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade level topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
• SCI: Ask questions about what organisms obtain from the environment and what they release as waste matter back into the environment.
• VA: Intentionally take advantage of the qualities and characteristics of art media, techniques, and processes to enhance communication of experiences and ideas.
• VA: Select and use the qualities of structures and functions of art to improve communication of ideas.

Adaptations

• Possible classroom resources include: Top Secret by John Reynolds Grandiner; Respiration and Photosynthesis by Donna Latham; Photosynthesis: Changing Sunlight into Food by Bobbie Kalman
• Students research the process of photosynthesis and organize research into an electronic format.
• Students extend the lesson on leaf prints by creating personalized wrapping paper and cards with gold Crayola Premier Tempera. This can be extended to making books covers with various sizes and shapes of leaves.