Art as One 

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.

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What it looks like: