ART for 1170

I really like this lesson. It involves skills such as folding, planning, pattern, repetition, color theory and is very popular with the students. Starting by folding a 12 x 18  in half, then in half, then in half so they can see 8 sections. Each section gets a heart or other shape, each shape is filled with a small repeating shape. The area around the shape is filled with a different line. The lines and shape must be original to each section. Students are encouraged to use different colors for every section. P.S. The use of sponges on trays is a new idea to keep paints and artwork a bit cleaner, so far it seems to help.

Students studied the faces of Laurel Birch inspired cats and gave them a personal twist that I love.  They started by outlining their cat in white oil pastel and the next class gave them unique colors.

I projected a painting by Grandma Moses on the white board so students who finished could use the dry erase markers to find lines and shapes in the trees.  First and second grade students learned about the different limbs of decidious and evergreen trees. We have had a crazy amount of snow this year in Michigan. Record amount of snow days and low temps so as much as I was ready to say good bye to the snow I thought I'd embrace our visual environment. Students used cardboard edges to dip in green or brown paint. The next week the students added snow as it piles up on the ground and branches. This week they cut out red cardinals of their own design to add to the landscape. Promise to post those by next weekend. Here's looking forward to Spring!

Thanks to http://paintedpaperintheartroom.blogspot.com/   a wonderful website with great ideas I found this woodland house lesson idea. I see over 200 second graders at this school so I don't have the storage room to store the stand up houses but we stapled them to the blue background paper and then added some details.  I told the students that when I was in school there was a cereal called "Freakys", (growing up in the 70's) Anyway, it came with a plastic monster and I would collect them with my friends and we made houses in the yard for them. I even remembered the jingle and sang a bit for them. The next week I heard a student singing it!  We started by stamping doors, windows and siding on the yellow paper then stamping a roof.  The following week we used Craypas for color. Today we assembled our houses and added details.

I have done this guided drawing for the last three years and despite how some art teachers feel about guided drawing I am a fan of sprinkling these lessons in my curriculum because... One, the students are pulled in instantly. Two, again instant success with all students. Three, I have never had 5 lunch moms ask me what is going on because the playground is COVERED in chalk bears! You get the picture. Next week we will cut them out and add a background paper.

Just a small sample of finished Picasso inspired faces. Depending on the school, most were painted in tempera but also some additions of colored pencil and paper.  I'm really happy with the way they turned out. It was more time consuming project than I hoped it would be, but the results are incredible.

This is such a fun lesson in color! The students fold a 12 x 18 piece of paper in half hot dog style, then hamburger, then bring both ends in what I call "Party in the middle."  This will create 8 boxes. They then outline the folds in permanent marker and add their hearts.  I have Alpha cakes in six colors.  The key is that they can't repeat the same color twice. All is well as they fill six spaces and then...we start to mix, Oh what fun.  I love to hear them say, "Oh, look what color I made!"

I've done this lesson every year with second grade.  Each student takes a 12 x 18 piece of construction paper and a stack of 6" x 4.5" black paper.  The black paper is folded in half, then a design is cut. The student then cuts down the fold and glues the positive shape down, then its negative.  It takes some students a few tries but the others who grasp it quickly always help out.

Our PTA and Clarkston Foundation supported our school in a special Picasso assembly. To prepare the students we studied pictures of Picasso's work and then made our own Picasso insprired faces.  We had a lively discussion on his art, especially the Weeping Woman.  The students love to make observations on why she is crying and why her face is white/grey.  I did this lesson with first grade, second and third grade. Finished examples to come...