Monday, February 1, 2021

Rainbow "Scratch-Off" Drawing Templates for Jamboard

When my kids were young, one of their favorite art activities was using rainbow scratch paper to create pictures or to write words. It is a fun way to be creative and is motivating to discover the colorful pattern underneath.

With that as an inspiration, I created a digital version of rainbow scratch paper using Google Jamboard. Actually I created a dozen templates, each with a different rainbow pattern underneath!

See below for links to the templates, along with a short 4-minute video and written directions on how your students can use these Jamboard templates to create some awesome rainbow art. And  I would love to see what they make, so please feel free to share their creations online and tag with the hashtag #controlaltachieve

Tutorial Video (4 minutes)




Get the Templates

Click on any of the links below to get a copy of the templates. When you click the link, you will then click the "Make a copy" button to get your own copy of the Jamboard file.

Here are the different rainbow patterns for each template:



Using the Rainbow Drawing Jamboard Template

When you make a copy of one of the templates you will get a Jamboard file with two frames.
  • The first frame has the directions which explained below.
  • The second frame is the scratch canvas that you will use for drawing.


Once we have a copy of the Jamboard template, here is how to use it:
  • First we will click the arrow at the top of the Jam to move to the second frame.
  • Now we will select the "Eraser" tool from the floating toolbar on the left.
  • Next we will use the eraser to "draw" or "write" on the canvas.
  • As we do this it will erase the top layer and reveal the rainbow pattern underneath.
  • The pattern will depend on which template you copy as each one has a different rainbow image in the background. You can try out each of the templates to explore the patterns.

  • At any point we can click on the "Share" button in the top right to share our rainbow drawing with others so they can work on it with us.
  • And when we are done we can download a copy by clicking the three-dots button in the top right and choosing "Save frame as image".


Bonus: Set Your Own Background

If you want to go further, a fun option is to change the background to a different image of your choice.
  • You can do this by clicking "Set background" at the top of the Jam.
  • Then clicking the "Image" button from the drop down menu.
  • Now you can upload an image, or search for an image to use as the background.


Bonus: How the Template Works

If you are interested in how this template works, here are the basics.
  • Jamboard has several tools to create with, including the drawing tools, sticky notes, shapes, and textboxes.
  • It turns out that the drawing tools, which include the pen, marker, highlighter, and brush, are special.
  • Whatever we draw with the drawing tools will always be on top of anything else on the canvas.
  • So what I did to make the template was to use the marker tool to draw all over the entire canvas in white. (Yes, this took a very long time!)
  • Now anything that gets added to the canvas, such as a rainbow background, will automatically be behind the giant white area I drew with the marker.
  • All we have to do now is use the eraser tool to remove parts of what I drew with the marker, and we will see the image underneath it.

And that's it! I hope you and your students have fun creating with these rainbow "scratch-off" drawing templates for Jamboard. I would love to see what your students make, or new twists you put on this project!


Post by Eric Curts. Connect with me on Twitter at twitter.com/ericcurts

7 comments:

  1. Is there a fast way for a student to re-use their virtual paper other then hitting the undo button a hundred times when they are finished a drawing and want to start again?

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    1. Before they draw, perhaps they can duplicate the frame by going to the top to "Expand the Frame Bar" then click the three dots and then "Duplicate". You can duplicate it many times, up to 20 frames per Jamboard. Hope this helps.

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  2. love these! Plan to use them as incentives now that we have begun our testing review.

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  3. Eric, this is seriously awesome. I can't wait to look at your other resources!
    :-) RH

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  4. Thank you very much for this! I also can not wait to see what other things you create!

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  5. Thanks so much for sharing! This is awesome!

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  6. Love this Jamboard!! Can't wait for my little learners to use it!! Thank you!!

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