Materials
paper or cardboard
scissors (adult use only)
toy insects
Instructions
1. Read The Earth and I by Frank Asch with the children. As you read, help the
children notice the color patterns on each page.
2. After reading, show the children the photo of the Earth as viewed from space.
Point out the colors green, brown, blue, and white.
3. Give each child a paper plate, four sponges, and four small pans of green,
blue, white, and brown paint.
4. Show the children how to use the sponges to paint the three colors on the
Earth shape. As the children mix the colors on the paper, it will resemble Earth
as viewed from space.
5. Show the children how to crumple up a paper towel and blot the painting to
remove the extra paint. The blotting also creates a pattern in the paint that will
make it resemble the Earth even more. Then, the children can paint white
clouds over the Earth.
6. Let the paintings dry. Display them on a bulletin board with a title appropriate
for your theme.
Assessment
Consider the following:
* Do any of the children have trouble grasping the sponges or getting the paint
where they want it?
* As the children work, ask them to identify the colors on their paintings.
