Faux Stained-Glass Greeting Cards

1. Stained glass is used for a variety of decorative purposes. Students research information about how stained glass is made. Find out why many of the world’s religions represent symbols in stained glass. Find stained glass examples in the community.
2. Students choose a holiday celebrated by people from a culture or heritage other than their own. What are some symbols associated with this holiday? What do they represent? Students share information with the class about holidays such as Eid al-Fitr or Christmas.
3. Fold Crayola Construction Paper into a card. Students draw several symbols associated with the holiday they researched on white Crayola Color Explosion™ Paper with the black marker. Cut out the symbols.
4. Cut a piece of Color Explosion Paper slightly smaller than the card. Reveal surprising stained-glass effect colors in the background with a Color Explosion Marker. Watch colorful shapes appear. Outline some of these shapes with the black marker or outline your own symbols. Add interesting textures to the symbols.
5. Create a colorful greeting appropriate for the holiday on more Color Explosion Paper.
6. Glue the designs on the card. Air-dry the glue.
7. Embellish the card with additional images, sparkling Crayola Glitter Glue, or other craft materials if desired. Air-dry the glue before handing the card.

LA: Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

LA: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

LA: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade level topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

SS: Describe ways in which language, stories, folktales, music, and artistic creations serve as expressions of culture and influence behavior of people living in a particular culture.

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.

VA: Describe a variety of art objects in historical and cultural contexts.

Prior to the creation of original-stained glass cards, have students share professionally made cards that they have received. Students focus on and discuss the written messages in the cards. What do the messages tell the recipient? Brainstorm what message might they want to send in their original stained-glass cards.

Working in small groups, students research a holiday from a culture or heritage other than their own. Students organize a celebration for their studied holiday.

Students investigate their home community for examples of stained glass. Challenge students to take digital photographs of each example found, document where it is in the community and recognize any symbols found within the window. Organize student photographs into an electronic format. Students add written comments for their photographs. Set aside a time for the class to view the organized photographs.