Lesson Plan: Community Puzzle
Goal: Have individuals decorate wooden puzzle pieces so that once they are pieced together, they create a meaningful shape and each piece represents a member of a community.
Materials:
-
Wood
-
Primer
-
Acrylic paint
-
Brushes
-
Saw
-
Sander
-
Ruler
-
Wood glue
-
Blue tape
-
Clear Varnish
How to prep:
First, pick the shape you want your puzzle to form. In my case I picked a ‘W’ because that’s my school's’ logo. Once you have the shape you must sketch it onto a piece of wood. I used a sheet of 1” plywood for the project because it’s sturdy, but not too thick. Then, use a saw to cut the shape out and use a sander to sand any rough edges. Once you have all the wooden puzzle pieces cut, you will need to prime the wood.
The other piece that you need to create for the puzzle is the backboard and frame. Take a sheet of plywood and prime and paint is any color you desire. If you want to put the puzzle on a wooden frame, use molding and attach it the edges so it looks like a frame and paint that as well. Once that is all done, you are ready to go into the classroom!
Directions for students:
Introduce the project by telling students they can paint their designated puzzle piece in any way they want. Then show them how the puzzle pieces connect and that once they are all painted they will be assembled into one shape. Also depending on the student’s abilities, you can have them help you paint the frame whichever color you choose.
​
What it looks like:
Helpful Hints:
Before cutting the initial shape from wood, create a template of the shape out of cardboard so that it’s easier for the person who is doing the cutting. Also make sure that there’s not too much paint on the edges of each puzzle piece or they will not fit well together. Also you may want to outline the whole shape with one color of paint which will create about a 1/4” border so that the audience can clearly see how the pieces fit together. Lastly, you may want to spray your piece with a varnish for wood so that it lasts a long time.
