One of the most rewarding lessons I have done so far in my experience with my elementary schoolers is this leaf-rubbing project we have just begun. This is a two-day project in which students will explore two types of printmaking. Our first types of printmaking revolved around using lemon leaves I had taken from my garden and creating rubbing prints with crayons we had peeled together. This lesson felt so magical to me as I saw the excitement on my student’s faces when I showed them how we can get the design of our leaves to transfer onto our papers. A few students had even called out that it was “like magic” and many took it upon themselves to turn the leaf rubbings into their own designs like flowers or create entire landscapes using the leaves. As I prepare to introduce my students to the second half of this project in which we print using lemon stamps I hope to preserve that sense of excitement within them!
