Earth, Wind, Fire, Water

• Phyllis Burstein and student teacher Jennifer Oleff
with middle school students at Bell Elementary, Chicago

Wind

Challenge:
Students create abstract drawings of earth, wind, fire, and water.

Materials: black construction paper, chalk pastels, gesso, and utility knives.

Process:
• Students choose an element to represent.
• On black paper they can-
Draw with colored pastel.
Paint with gesso.
Draw into wet or dry gesso with pastel.
Dip pastel into gesso or water and draw. 

Earth

Shave off colored pastel dust and sprinkle into wet gesso. 

Lesson Expansion:
• Tie-in with science or philosophy lesson or the novel Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder.

Fire

Water