Supplement a lesson on George Washington with this cherry tree craft to commemorate the famous fable about the first president.

According to the legend of George Washington and the cherry tree, the young Washington could not tell a lie. While the story was most likely fabricated, it is a popular way to teach about the first president to elementary-level students. Students can create this cherry tree with colored tissue paper and brown paint as they learn about President Washington.

What You Need:

• Red and green tissue paper
• Brown paint
• Paintbrush
• Blue construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Standard pencil with an eraser

What You Do:

• Trace your lower arm, including your fingers, on the blue construction paper, trace your lower arm. This will form the tree trunk and the tree branches.
• Use the brown paint and paintbrush to paint the trunk and the bottom of the branches.
• Cut green and red tissue paper into 1.5 inch squares. Store the squares inside a plastic bag to keep them together.
• Apply the tissue paper to the tree with glue.
• Continue placing squares of tissue paper on the tree, mixing the colors, until the tree is relatively full.
• Use crayons, paints, or pastels to further decorate the page.