Unlikely Creations

1. Read Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg to the class. The message in the book is simple: mistakes can be beautiful too! Students explore creativity by creating art out of an Oops.
2. Have students make a variety of “mistakes” such as a smudge, paper rip, bent corner, crumpled paper, a scribble, whatever they come up with. Then instead of students working on their own “mistake” have them trade with a classmate.
3. Students examine their “mistake” and use their imagination to turn it into a piece of art. Students can use classroom art supplies like Crayola® Washable Paint, Washable Markers, Colored Pencils, Glue, Scissors and paper.
4. The artwork depicted in this lesson plan shows a paint smudge that was turned into a comet, a paper tear turned into a stingray swimming in the ocean and a crumpled piece of paper turned into a beautiful flower. Allow student imaginations soar while learning that mistakes can be turned into beautiful art.
5. Students write a paragraph about their transformed art. Have them create an original story or explain how they came up with their idea.

LA: Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding.

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

VA: Use different media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas, experiences, and stories.

VA: Use visual structures of art to communicate ideas.

Do you keep a scrap box? If so, instead of students creating “mistakes”, have them choose from the paper scrap box to create a new piece of art.

Read other books focusing on creativity to the class. The Dot, Ish (Creatrilogy), Sky Color, all by Peter H. Reynolds, are a few suggestions.