I just found out about Labo Leaves, an app that will fit perfectly into my annual “Fall Leaves” lesson plan!
Along with the books Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson and Lucky Leaf by Kevin O’Malley, I always share Red Leaf Yellow Leaf and Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert. If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that I’m drawn to books that feature collage illustrations, and Ehlert is a master of this art form.
In Leaf Man she takes us on a journey with the title character and shows us all the flora and fauna that can be created using different combinations of leaves.
At the end of the book, Leaf Man settles down happily with a Leaf Woman, which always wins approval from my listeners. After we examine Ehlert’s clever cut-paper illustrations, students draw (or trace) and cut out their own selection of leaves and use them to design an original leaf collage. I show them an example that I created:
There are always a few students, though, that seem unsure how to begin the art project. Enter Labo Leaves!
This app provides students with digital leaves that they can drag into position to create leaf animals that burst into life when completed. What a great hands-on introduction to the possibilities of designing with leaves! See for yourself:
You can purchase Labo Leaves for ios ($1.99) or android ($0.99) and once you download the app you can use it without an internet connection. You can see other Labo apps here.
Too bad autumn is still five months away!