What is a meaningful art project for 6th graders for an after math assessment activity?

Teach them about simple Euclidan fractals (constructing using reciprocal iterations of a single linear or quadratic equation), then have them make designs using crayons & multiple fractals?

Or have them make snowflakes by folding up pieces of paper in a radially symmetrical manner, then cutting them.

Or have them make simple abacuses out of, say, construction paper and pipecleaners. Flimsy abacuses. Foldable abacuses. The possibilities are endless.

Or have them participate in an informal freehand circle-drawing competition.

Or ask them to draw what they think the square root of negative one might look like.

Or have them solve for pi. Over and over again.

Creating a shape that tesselates and tracing it over and over until it fills up a sheet of paper is fun, and very pretty if colored in at the end.

I also like symmetrical art…any kind of design as long as it has a line of symmetry down the middle. If you have little mirrors they can draw one half of the design and periodically stand up the mirror in the middle to check how the other side should look.

Origami is fun and relaxing too – www.enchantedlearning.com has clear directions including diagrams for simple origami projects. I think they’re under “crafts.”

One of my favorite little art projects has nothing to do with math but is instead a community builder: Cut up a piece of poster board like a puzzle, so that each student (and yourself) gets a puzzle piece. They then decorate it with their name and representations of special people/places/things/pets/activities in their lives. At some point later on, they share their puzzle piece with a partner or small group and explain what is on it, and then class works together to create the “community puzzle,” the metaphorical point being that if one person is absent or otherwise not engaged in learning there is a “hole” in the community. Every person matters. One tip for this: Either make the shape of each piece very distinctive OR secretly put little numbers on the back showing the order the pieces go in. Otherwise it will be too hard to put together! You can also put a thick line around the edge of the posterboard before you cut it – that seems to help when putting it together again. I like to laminate the puzzle and hang it in the room to visually reinforce the idea of community. A good beginning-of-the-year project.

somethinhg skill based so they come out with something at the end: weaving, sewing, finger knitting, etc.

origami projects. you can find a lot on the internet. try www.instructables.com

Sounds like you need something easy to take out/put away, quick to demo and that every kid can be pretty independent with and work quietly. Is that right?