Heads Up, Heads Out
Crosswalk Safety Art Collective
INTRODUCTION
These wooden spoon friends are inspired by CW’s long neck and upright head position when using
a crosswalk, as CW enjoys modeling, teaching and reminding children how to cross the street
wisely. The spoons will become part of a large art installation that will travel in 2015 to various
locations in Boulder, one being your school. A video featuring the children talking about crosswalk
safety will accompany the art installation.
OBJECTIVE
This project reinforces the Head’s Up message by inviting the children to create CW in the form of
a wooden spoon. A sunburst with a mirror in the center will serve as the structure for the wooden
spoons. The students will express themselves visually, orally and collaboratively to remind our
community to keep Boulder’s streets safe by taking personal responsibility when using a crosswalk.
AGE GROUP
2nd – 4th grade
COLORADO STANDARDS for Visual Arts
Standard 1: Students recognize and use the visual arts as a form of communication.
Standard 3: Students know and apply visual arts materials, tools, techniques, and processes.
Standard 5: Students analyze and evaluate the characteristics, merits, and meaning of works of art.
VOCABULARY
Collaborative: to work, one with another
Activate: to make active; cause to function or act
Collective: forming a whole; combined: characteristic of a group of individuals taken together
Analogous colors: groups of colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel.
TIME REQUIRED
45 minutes to an 1 hour
ADULT ASSISTANCE
Two
SUPPLIES
Wooden spoons, acrylic paints and pallets, brushes, paper, pencil, markers, camera, blow dryer,
color wheel and wooden spoon models.
PROCESS
1. Discuss the Heads Up message and what it means. Review how to use a crosswalk safely as CW
recommends. Talk about the idea behind a collective art project and how it can influence a
community. More specifically, ask them to think about a message they want to convey to Boulder
regarding crosswalk safety. 5 min
2. Explain and demonstrate the project process. 5 min.
3. Have the children trace a wooden spoon on to paper. Have them add designs and a facial
expression to their drawing. They will use this as a template or plan. 5 min
4. Have them work from the top down and paint with an analogous color palette. 15 min.
5. While the paint is drying they will be interviewed and video taped about why crosswalk safety is
important and how they can be responsible for their own safety. 5 min.
6. The children will return to their dry spoons and add detail with markers. 10 min.
7. Clean-up and hand out Heads Up give-away prizes. 5 min.