Happy Birthday, Ms. I and Leah!
Just one of the many reasons I love teaching, is that I celebrate my birthday with the sweetest kids on earth! Some know better than asking how old I am…..
Also, I share birthdays with some of my students like this cutie!
2012 Art Show Part 1
Here is one of my Fifth grade Art Show projects. I collaborated with the Music teacher again this year for a Fine Arts Night Celebrating America. Each grade level focused on a region of the U.S.A and created art work influenced by the region’s social culture and environment.
The fifth grade looked at the North East and created self portraits of them self as the Statue of Liberty. We discussed the symbolic meaning of the statue and then modernized it to add some individual personality. I love these! This was a brand new lesson for me and I think it was very successful, I will add this to my favorites for sure!
Feeling the Love
During 5th grade art class this past Friday, I was working with a couple of students and didn’t notice a few students decorating my marker board. When I turned around, this is what I found. I certainly feel loved! Some of the phrases are pretty funny! I am the “coolest cat in school” is my fav!
4th Grade Shoe Portraits
I always enjoy implementing this project with my 4th graders. It is an unusual way to approach a portrait but the kids seem to enjoy it. Yes, we take our shoes off to draw them and no, it doesn’t smell too bad! It is a great way to work on observational drawing.
I start the lesson with an introduction about Identity. We talk about how you can tell a lot about a person based upon what kind of shoes they wear. That usually leads to a long discussion about what kind of a person we are because of our shoes. Each student wants to know what I think. Its kinda funny and helps us all get to know each other better. I even get a summary about what my shoes say about me. I have a lot of different shoes, so each class has a different perspective on me.
We start by practicing on a rough draft first. I think this helps each student feel more comfortable. We talk about how to look at the shoe and start simple first, looking only at the basic shapes. After the basic shape of the shoe is drawn, we start adding details.
The second art class is when we start the final drawing. Everyone thinks about the direction of the shoes and how we would be standing. Once the shoe is drawn we outline it with sharpies. The background is added and then we paint with watercolors.
4th Grade Clay Tiles
Happy Holidays everyone! I have been super busy trying to upload as much work as possible to Artsonia. It is the perfect place to use your child’s artwork as a holiday gift! More importantly, I want to encourage everyone to visit and comment on your child’s artwork!
Fourth graders spent a couple of days working in clay. We learned how to roll out slabs of clay and then cut out a shape. The kids were then allowed to use texture plates, stamps, and drawing sticks to decorate the surface. We poked holes into the top and fired the pieces. Fun colored glazes were added after and fired again.
To complete the project, we used buttons and colored wire to allow for the tiles to be hung. Most of the kids used inspiring words or names to decorate and will make any room feel special!
Bullentin Board Idea
This year I decided to switch up my bulletin board displays. I wanted to create something that was a little more interactive for the kids. I usually display an artist with a bunch of facts. My students don’t pay attention to it. They might glance at it and take for granted that the information is right there for them.
I did a lot of searching on the internet for some Art Room bulletin board ideas and found one that seemed interactive enough but not to the point of distracting normal every day classroom management. I place a piece of art in the center of the bulletin board and cover up the artwork information. Using index cards, I asked a question and placed the answer underneath the card.
So far, this has been very successful. I catch kids peaking at the answers all the time. The board makes them take more ownership with finding out the answer. I know they will retain the info this way because they had to interact with the board.
Kinder lines
Phew, first quarter is finished and I have a big pile of work to photograph and post to Artsonia! The above work is an example of a project I did with Kindergarten. We spend a huge amount of time learning and identifying various lines. After all the focus on line, it is easier to introduce SHAPE. The little nuggets need a lot of practice drawing shapes on their own. We use shape tracers with crayons to practice. Then I give them white crayons to draw their own secret shapes. Then later, when we use water color paints, the secret shapes appear like magic!
Using the white crayon and drawing secret shapes helps encourage each student to paint the entire paper. So many times, I have a student that only paints inside the shapes or just around the shapes. In this project, I want to promote self discovery and practice using the art tools the proper way. It isn’t about painting a certain way.
What we do in Kindergarten Art class
It is always joyous when the new Kindergarten students enter the art room for the first time. Minutes later, chaos sets in as each child asks who I am? Why I have a sink? Why is there paint on the counter? Can I go to the bathroom? Can I go to the bathroom too? Did you know I have a cat? Why are we here? What is that on the table? I want to go home. Do you have a mommy? I miss my mommy.
Mean while I try and introduce Line. “Class, did you know that a line is a dot that went for a walk?”; “Teacher, I need to go to the bathroom?”and “I have a sister, do you have a sister?” “I need to go to the bathroom too!” Eventually, the entire class needs to use the bathroom.
Slowly but surely, the new Kinders get used to the way the art room operates and we have a pretty consistent way of doing things. Eventually we learn about line and why it is important. We create a few art projects all about line and the next thing you know, each student is capable of making a pretty good turtle filled with various lines!
Next up was shape. “When a line bends, a shape begins” is our prompt and every student practices drawing shapes. We paint shapes, we draw shapes and we cut out shapes. It has been fun so far, and the bathroom requests are starting to diminish. Maybe by Christmas they will all remember to go before Art class!
Fall Art Projects
Kindergarten used sponges to create ghosts and torn green paper for the grass. Small squares of orange papers were used to cut out circles for pumpkins and then I added glittery “boos” and swirls to finish the picture. This was a great lesson to work on cutting and gluing skills.
First graders created Halloween collages. Each student was given a couple pieces of brown, orange and white paper. They were also provided a black piece. The papers were cut into trees, pumpkins, ghosts and haunted houses. The details were added with colored pencils. A Spooktacular project!
Third graders traced their hands to start this unique portrait project. The idea was to create an illusion where it looked like we were falling down towards something. We used sharpies and watercolors to complete the look!
Fourth grade looked at how to the element of art, Space, in the drawing project. We talked about how you can fill the paper and make people look squished in a tight space. This was a tough concept to understand, but it is a start. The facial expressions are my favorite part!
Fifth graders have been working on observational drawing. We all took a trip outside to draw our school. Woodstock and Crescent Park students spent 40 minutes trying to use perspective drawing skills and plain old determination to capture the school on paper. I am very impressed with how they are turning out!
Falling 3rd graders!
Third grade is in the middle of one of my favorite drawing and painting projects. You trace your hands and then draw the body and head.
Great project for learning about space and creating an illusion.
