Geometric Illusion Banners

Geometric Illusion Banners lesson plan

In the wonderful world of optical illusions, lines create the look of 3-D. Create bold, bright, geometric banners in this exploration adapted from Crayola Dream-Makers®.

  • 1.

    What you see is what you get. Or is it? When lines and shapes are involved, your eyes can be tricked into seeing things. Make a banner that demonstrates your ability to combine lines and shapes into the illusion of 3-D forms.

  • 2.

    <STRONG>Outline your banner</STRONG>. Choose cotton or 50/50 cotton/polyester blend fabric for your banner. Cut a banner with Crayola Scissors. Cover your art area with paper. On the fabric, draw two large rectangles with borders all around them using Crayola Fabric Markers.

  • 3.

    <STRONG> Draw 2-D shapes</STRONG>. In the top rectangle, draw lines and two-dimensional shapes, such as squares and triangles.

  • 4.

    <STRONG>Create 3-D illusions</STRONG>. Combine the 2-D shapes to create the illusion of 3-D forms (cubes or cones, for example) inside the bottom rectangle. Add a banner title and your name in the borders if you like. Highlight your motifs with Crayola Glitter Glue. Air-dry the banner.

  • 5.

    <STRONG>Hang your banner</STRONG>. Roll construction paper into a cylinder. Attach it to the top of the banner with Crayola School Glue. Air-dry the glue. Thread ribbon through the cylinder to hang.

Benefits

  • Students explore the composition of 3-D optical illusions by analyzing and combining 2-D visual elements.
  • Students render their comprehension graphically in banner form.
  • Students test their understanding by dissecting the designs to undercover the mathematical elements of the illusion.

Adaptations

  • For more details, order a copy of the complete Dream-Makers® guide "Dreams You Can Count On" on Crayola.com. More related children’s books, a curriculum planning web, and music explorations are also available on Crayola.com/dreammakers for the lesson enti
  • To assess children’s understanding of these concepts, ask them to write down what lines they used to create the shapes and what shapes they combined to create the illusion of 3-D forms.
  • Explore the scientific principles behind these tricks of the eye. Make optical illusions that move such as "Geometric Optic Spinner" and "Optical Delusion" found on Crayola.com.