The Mitten Tree

Winter in Maine requires mittens! Students in kindergarten and first grade listened to the book The Mitten Tree. The Mitten Tree is a story of an elderly woman who secretly knits mittens for children who don't have them. She hangs them on a tree at the children's bus stop. After they heard the story the kindergarten used found objects to make a pattern on a piece of construction paper. Their learning target was "I can make a clear print using found objects." The students used pieces of cardboard, q-tips, and marker caps to print their patterns. Once the patterns were dry the students used stencils to create the mitten shape and texture rubbing plates to add interest to their backgrounds.

First graders listened to the same story, but their learning target was "I can create tints of a color by adding white." They used their tints to create a page of patterns. Once their pattern was dry they cut out the mittens and added interest to the background with textured rubbing plates.