3rd Grade Monet

I recently found out all the cool things tissue paper can be used for. So tissue paper is the star of this lesson. First we learned about Monet and we closely studied his Water Lilies paintings. We talked about how up close his work looks abstract but when you step back it creates a whole picture. We used tissue paper and watered down glue to create the "abstract water". The beautiful colors ran together and were vibrant and beautiful.  We also used tissue paper for the lilies and flowers. Enjoy the beautiful colors!

5th grade Flip, Turn, Slide

Lets face it, with the cutting of programs and the terrible economy the "specials" need to prove why we are important and how to can help with those darn PSSA scores. Just to be clear I do think it is important to re-enforce what is going on in their classrooms too.

 So this lesson was inspired by the Flip (reflection), Turn (rotation), and Slide (translation) part of the PSSA test. Our students have trouble remembering how to do those directions on the test so I figured we could make it more exciting by making prints with ink of their initials. Their first initial = flip, 2nd initial= turn, 3rd initial= slide. (and yes I couldn't just call them first, middle and last initial b.c of all the Hyphenated last names :)  or the lack of middle names.  

We used foam to carve our initials ----"IF YOU DONT DO IT BACKWARDS THE LETTERS WILL NOT PRINT THE RIGHT WAY" didn't matter how many times I said it, I still had kiddos do it the wrong way!!!! 

 Next we rolled ink with the brayers on top of the foam, then printed it like a stamp on printing paper. 

This project took forever, but I will modify it for next year. Also next thing we will be working on CRAFTSMANSHIP.  Over all not too bad for a first try. 

4th Grade Perspective

This lesson was absolutely painful at first... Rulers, measurements and lots of tears!!!! So I stopped in the middle of class made the students put everything away listen to the book Ish.

This a wonderfully awesome book that shows the children that for goodness sake it is allowed to look vase-ish, flower-ish, sun-ish and that there should be NO TEARS when creating art!!! 

After we got the measuring done the project went much smoother and I have to say the kids enjoyed it too. They loved that it looked like the shapes were being "sucked into space". 

Kindergarten- Free Form Monsters

Apparently in elementary art I have a thing for monsters and alien. I just feel like the result cant go wrong the kids love it so much.

I got this project from we heart art . I too read Jeremy Draws a Monster but I also read Lines that Wiggle. 

 What you do is take a piece of string that is tied in a knot and drop it on the paper. You trace the contour line of the string or in K terms the outside, around the string. Then you start adding your monsters physical features. This creates a great discussion to ease drop on. The kids start taking about what their monster does and what powers it has.. It is soo cute and it keeps their attention the entire time.

I see the common theme is not knowing how to color around what they have drawn, for example the eyes, nose and mouth. We will have to work on that. I have to remind myself that this is the first time a lot of these kiddos have done a real art class. So when they are beaming proud, I am beaming proud. Enjoy!!

2nd Symmetry Sunflowers

Ok well the 2nd grade was pretty upset that I was re-teaching them about Vincent Van Gogh since they had already learned about him in 1st grade. Since I am new to their school I did not know they had already learned about him. I didn't want to disappoint so I felt the pressure to make this art work something they had never done before.

So we talked about Van Gogh his life and his art work. We also focused on symmetry. We sang the Symmetry song....Symmetry Oh Symmetry....You are the same on both sides.... ( much like the Christmas tree oh christmas tree) We used oil pastels pushed really hard and drew half of the picture. Next we folded it in half and rubbed. This created the symmetrical print on the other side. We used a wash of paint over everything to great a back ground.

1st Cup Cake Collages

I have been completely inspired and maybe a little obsessed with looking at other people's blogs. I even forget where I got this idea from. Being a bran new art teacher it is so great looking at what other people have done, then adapting it for my classroom. Why re-event the wheel when it is already done so awesomely!!!! 

In this lesson we read If You Give A Cat A Cupcake. Then looked at artist Wayne Thiebaud.

We used wallpaper and other materials to collage the most delicious cupcakes a 1st grader could imagine. Yummy! 

3rd grade Aboriginal Art

 This is a project that in my head worked out wonderful but in reality went all wrong in some classes. Here is some of the work that the kiddos who could follow directions. This is our take on Australian Aboriginal Art.