Home School - Michelangelo Lapbook Activity

This summer we have been gradually working to complete a large unit on Michelangelo and the Renaissance era.  We are using the lapbook templates and information from homeschoolshare.org.  The link to the lapbook we are working on is http://www.homeschoolshare.com/michelangelos_surprise.php.  (We will be posting pictures of the lapbook when we have completed it, but I wanted to share an activity that we did today.)
Yesterday at work, I was speaking to a lady about cameras.  We began talking about her job as an art teacher, and I mentioned that we are studying art this summer.  She shared with me an idea that she used in her elementary art classroom that the children really enjoyed.
For those of you who do not know, one of the things that Michelangelo is remembered for is his painting of the Sistine Chapel ceiling done in fresco paints.  In order to accomplish this, he spent many months/years on scaffolding painting above his head.  Today, we first took the time to read more about the paintings in the Sistine Chapel.  Then, we recreated our own "Sistine" experience.

First, I taped a piece of typing paper under the bottom of 2 chairs.  I gave the kids the markers and told them that they had to lay on their backs and make a picture.  While I realize that using actual paints of some sort would have been more "realistic," I did not think it would be the best for the carpet! I got them started and them let them just work at their own pace until they were tired and had completed their pictures.

Savannah chose to draw her favorite thing...horses.  She did hers "Sistine Chapel" style by drawing one horse on one side of the "ceiling" and a then flip-flopping a  horse on the other side to imitate the two sides of the room.

JJ drew his version of the sunken city Atlantis.  There is a castle and various water creatures like an octopus in his design.

They really had a lot of fun, but they also realized how difficult it was to paint in that position!