Illuminated Manuscripts

I wanted to show a fourth grade class how to make ink like monks. We were going to beat eggs and put in "ash" (ground up chalk and "plant material" (oregano)and dip our quill pens (stupid crafting feathers). But, one student started singing a medieval song they learned in music and it caught on until every student in the classroom had joined in. They sang like monks as they worked on their monk art for a good 15 minutes, before I decided it would be a better thing to circle them around and beat our eggs and herbs.

I've got to hand it to them. It was one of my most enjoyable teaching moments...and I was wearing a bathrobe tied with twine.

You can't love the art, until you become the artist. We'll all be wearing monk robes next time around...with feathers taped to our marker pens.

I used to hate illuminated manuscripts, but this--this is getting fun.