A collage is a picture made not with paint but with pieces — scraps of colored paper, photographs, cloth, even bus tickets — all glued onto one surface. The word comes from a French word meaning ‘to glue,’ and the idea is wonderfully simple: instead of drawing something, you gather real bits of the world and arrange them into art. One of the most famous collage artists was Henri Matisse. When he grew too ill to stand and paint, he began cutting bright shapes from painted paper and pinning them to his walls, creating huge, joyful pictures he called ‘drawing with scissors.’ A collage has a special power: because every piece was once something else, the finished work carries little memories inside it. That is why teachers often ask children to make a ‘me collage,’ choosing objects that represent who they are. The result is part picture, part story — a self-portrait made of glued-down clues.

No right or wrong — close the screen and tell someone nearby what happened in this part. Can’t find anyone? Tell yourself out loud. The moment you teach it, you truly understand it.