Of all the lessons I have created the ones for second grade are my favorite...and the Japanese kimono is one of my very favorite! Start with a 12x18 inch sheet of white paper held vertically. This is one of the very few projects I have the kids do step by step with me. I make sure they are cutting with me at the same time. The design process is all their own. Fold it in 1/2 With the folded side on the left, put your scissors in the middle of the bottom of the paper. The cut straight up about 6 inches. I tell them about the length of their scissors. (the small kid size scissors) After you cut up 6 inches turn to the OPEN side of the paper and cut away your rectangle. Make sure you stress the OPEN side of the paper and not the folded side. And don't worry, no matter how hard you stress the OPEN side there will be 2 kiddos who will not listen. Now move your scissors to the middle on the to of the paper. This time you will cut towards the folded side at an angle. Last cutting step... Take your scissors back to the corner of the rectangle you cut out. Starting cutting straight up until you get to the arm pit. And yes they will laugh when you say arm pit. Stop at the arm pit. Move your scissors back to were you started the arm pit cut and cut out a long triangle shape ending at the top of the arm pit. I say cut out the world's skinniest pizza. Open up your Kimono and decorate using repeating patterns and shapes. Paint your Kimono with with watercolor paint and add salt for a nice resist texture. This is from our salt and paper experiment. San Francisco Bay sea salt on 90# white Pacon paper seemed to work the best. One of my students created a mini Kimono with the fancy paper we used for the belt and trim.
