Adinkra

Materials: construction paper, tempera paint, oil pastels, foam for printing, pens for carving

1. We print the background first. I tell the students to print the 4 corners first, then between the corners, and the middle last. We use a tint that is the same hue as their construction paper. I cut 3.75'' foam squares to print with.

2.) I use a worksheet to help students think of stamp designs. They base the designs on important life events. 1 of the stamps is a traditional Adinkra symbol and 1 stamp will be carved with a potato (traditional Adinkra stamps are made with calabash gourds). We carve the stamps out of foam by pressing into them with ballpoint pens. 

3. The students do test prints in their sketchbooks before printing on their projects.

4.) I have them make a plan where to print their stamps. They have to have at least 2 stamps per square and get higher creativity points for having symmetric balance.

**For participation points each day, we compare and contrast different African cloths.**

5.) The students print their stamps on their projects using a shade that is the same hue as their construction paper.

6.) We carve potatoes for one of the stamps. I have the students cut it into the shape of their foam stamps, then dig out their design.

7. We add a pastel pattern in the background. I let them use any color for this.