The first project that I decided to do with my 4th graders was a tessellation project. On day one we looked at a powerpoint I put together that looked at the Dutch artist M.C. Escher (no -- not M.C. Usher kids -- M.C. Escher) ;) We began by looking at a variety of his work including "Drawing Hands" and "Relativity" (they LOVED these pieces) as well as his tessellation art. We defined a "tessellation" as being "a pattern created with a repeating shape that does not overlap and could go on forever." Then we talked about how there any many different types of tessellations, but that we could categorize some of them by how the shape in the pattern moves. The first one we looked at was a 'translation', then a 'rotation', and then a 'reflection.' To help students remember the names and to differentiate them from one another.. I came up with a little dance called the 'Tessellation Boogie'. To begin with, I have students stand up out of their chairs and repeat after me "This is the tessellation boogie!" (with a tooonnnnnnn of attitude and shoulder bobbing). Then we say "translation!" and slide to the right, "rotation!" and spin in a circle, and "reflection!" and put our hands together and the jazz hands them apart in the air. THEY LOVE IT. LOVE IT. LOVE IT. Everyday they came in they would beg me to lead them in the tessellation boogie! And two of my classes even performed it for their teachers when they came to pick them up! :) Afterwards, we look at a youtube clip of a variety of tessellations and I have the kids call out whether they think it's a translation, rotation, or reflection. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2AWKgU0cN4&feature=related ) Then I tell students that we are going to begin making our tessellation art using the translation (slide) method! We begin with a 3"x3" piece of tagboard. Students are instructed to draw a simple freeform shape along ONE side of their square. The shape should reach at least to the middle of the paper and should not touch either corner of the paper. Once I check their shape, they cut it out and slide it to the opposite side of the paper. Then using a piece of tape, they attach it (with NO overlapping). **THIS IS WHERE THIS PROJECT CAN GO HORRIBLY AWRY! For some reason, no matter how many times I said it and demo'ed it, students STILL ended up doing this step wrong. They would flip their shape, or tape it on overlapped, or any other number of things. It drove me insane! :P The only way I found to improve student outcomes on this step was to be ridiculously involved and hover over each child's shoulder. Basically it ended up taking far longer than it should have.. but if the tessellation shape is made improperly, the rest of the project falls to shambles. Once everyone had their piece made, we practiced drawing it a couple times on a piece of scratch paper. This is where students also were given the opportunity to make their tessellation pieces a little more interesting by making it into a character (or monster). They rotated their piece around until they could visualize their monster and then added more detail. Once their character was designed, they started their final project on a piece of 9"x9" white drawing paper. We talked about how because the original tessellation shape paper was 3"x3" and the final paper was 9"x9", we could fit our shape 9 total times (although the last shape may be cut off). Students traced their shapes, added their monster's details.. and then we talked about color. Students used colored pencils and were encouraged to use a complementary color scheme to create contrast in their work! After coloring, they used fiber pens to outline their shapes. Overall, I was really proud of what my students created.. although the process was definitely a long and sometimes frustrating one! If you are interested in a more throughly explained lesson plan with visuals, teacher and student directions, demo videos, and an awesome PowerPoint, please check out my store! If you are interested in this lesson, I have an incredibly awesome package posted up in my store. Seriously.. it has EVERYTHING. Included in the package: 1. Tessellation PowerPoint: An introduction to what tessellations are, a brief history, M.C. Escher (with a link to a interview he did), his influences, his artwork, and the three main types of transformations used in making tessellations – translation, rotation, and reflections. This PowerPoint includes animated slides, which make it easier for students to visualize the shape’s movements. 2. Color Your Own Worksheets: Grid-filled pages that students can demonstrate how to draw translation, rotation, and reflection tessellations on. 3. Practicing Transformations Worksheet: Worksheet asks students to reflect specific shapes over horizontal and vertical axes, translate shapes, and rotate shapes. 4. Step-by-Step Direction Sheets: Three step-by-step instruction sheets with visuals showing how to create stencils for all three transformations. These instructions also match up with the included videos, which also demonstrate how to create them step-by-step. 5. Practice Tessellation Sheet: This page includes the base stencil for all three transformations shown in the videos and step-by-step sheets. 6. Transformation Videos: 3 videos demonstrating how to create a reflection tessellation, translation tessellation, and rotation tessellation (including how to do a graphite transfer or light table/window transfer for complex details). Also available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.
2019 Disclaimer: As I'm becoming more informed about cultural appropriation, I've become aware that I probably did not have all the background necessary to do this project justice. With that being said, as art educators we all need to do what is best for our students to meet their needs. Feel free to read on.. but I'm not sure that I would teach this lesson again. To learn more about cultural appropriation in art education, please check out this wonderfully informative article by Artful Artsy Amy. To begin this project I began by showing my 4th graders a powerpoint that I put together that explored the totem poles created by the Pacific Northwest Native Americans. We talked about how the totem poles were typically stylized images of animals that often represented people, events, or even whole communities! We also talked about how animals often have associated human characteristics - for example a dog is loyal, an owl is wise, a fox is sly, etc. After viewing the powerpoint, I had students figure out which animal they thought best represented themselves and practice sketching stylized versions of it on a worksheet I created. I emphasized repeatedly that students should avoid just drawing the outline of their animal, and instead just use the shape of the posterboard itself as the body (this took A LOT of reinforcement for some students). Once students were pleased with their sketch, they were given a piece of 14"x12" white posterboard and redrew their animal onto the board in pencil. This was then traced over in black sharpie. Once the drawing was completed, students used tempera paint to add color to their animals. Once the painting was finished, I used strips of posterboard stapled to the back of their boards to make their pieces 3-dimensional. Students that finished early had the opportunity to use construction paper to add more detail. Once the entire class was finished I assembled the totem poles by stacking the individual components together and taping them.
Yes.. I've posted about this project ALOT. But I can't help it!! My students work is amazing!! Check out my latest 5th graders work! Original lesson post here.
For this 3rd grade lesson (inspired by Art with Mr. E) we began by looking at the art of the Navajo Native Americans of the Southwest. Students learned about their amazing weaving skills (textiles, baskets, etc.) and their frequent use of symmetrical geometric motifs. We talked about how having symmetrical designs helped to achieve balance and harmony in their artwork. After viewing several examples, I presented students with our project - radial yarn weaving! :) Anytime my students get to work with new materials they are super excited.. and yarn is no exception. I think it's the really hands on part that they love and that they are working with materials that not all the other students get to experience. To begin, each student was given a paper plate on which I had them immediately write their name on the "front" of (the part you would eat off of), because this actually becomes the back of the artwork. Then I passed out my "cheater-plates" to each table and had students take turns tracing the odd numbered and evenly spaced triangular cuts around the plate onto their own (this saved an incredible amount of time and frustration). Once students had traced the triangular cuts from my cheater-plate onto their own, they cut them out. As they were working on that I walked around the classroom and poked a hole with a needle tool into the middle of each student's plate. Once they were finished cutting out their triangular cuts, I had them stick a pencil into the needle hole to make it wider. The next step was to take a ruler and create a straight lines from the apex of the triangular cuts to the center of the plate (essentially dividing up the plate into even "slices"). Once they were done with their lines, students got to color in their slices with crayons. I suggested sticking to a color scheme so it wasn't super random - after-all the Navajo strove for balance and harmony! Once the decoration of the loom (paper plate) was completed, it was time to add the warp strings! I knew this would be incredibly difficult to translate into words for you.. so I created a diagram to help me explain it (see below). Once the warp strings were added, students chose a color to use for their first weft string and using a plastic yarn needle, strung it through the center hole (tying the end of the yarn onto a warp string on the back of their plate). Then it was just a matter of weaving over and under and over and under and over and under until the end of time. :) I demoed this several times for my kids using my brand new document camera (yayyyyyyyy for new tech toys) and showed them what it looks like if you weave it correctly, and then what it looks like when you've missed a string in your pattern (you'll end up going under the same strings and over the same strings instead of it alternating). Once students ran out of their weft yarn, I had them choose another color of yarn and overhand-knot (like the kind of knot you use to tie a balloon or start a friendship bracelet) it onto the end of their first string and continue on. Students kept going until we ran out of time on the last day! In total we spent 5 days (about 40 minutes each class) working on this project. Day 1: Navajo powerpoint and triangular cuts to create the loom Day 2: Finish cutting and line/color plate Day 3: Add the warp strings Day 4: Weave Day 5: Weave This is definitely one of those projects that you need to be super hands-on with. Many students do not know how to tie the knots and will need to be shown how. You will definitely have students that need to be constantly reassured that they are "doing it right". And you will also likely have those students who are still having trouble getting the warp string on on day 5. My third grade classes currently all have about 35 students in them... and I remained constantly busy helping students as soon as the yarn came into the picture. Be prepared! :) Another way of doing this (inspired by pinterest - these examples created by me)... flowers! Cool idea for spring time!
For this lesson we began by reviewing the different line types and talked about what feeling each type can help convey (for example - vertical=strength, horizontal=rest and calm, wavy=calm movement, etc). Then we moved on and talked about colors and the moods they can help show in artwork. Before I revealed what mood each color is thought to translate, I had students fill out the "I think..." section of the worksheet you see to the left. It was really interesting to see which colors students filled in for each. Then we viewed the powerpoint I put together for the project, and they listed a few moods each color is said to convey under the "I know..." section. After talking all about how to use line and color expressively, I gave students the task of creating a piece of artwork centered around one word which they had to express on their papers with lines, pattern, and color. Students first started by writing their word large on their page in block/bubble letters. This is a challenging task in-and-of-itself for many kids, so I showed them my secret block letter trick. You start by writing the word normally on your piece of paper (large enough to fill the space) -- as seen in red. Then you outline each letter with an evenly distributed border -- as seen in black. Once you are done outlining the letters, all you have to do is erase the original letter lines and outline in sharpie! Once the word was on the page, students began adding line, pattern, and color to their papers AROUND their word with thin-tip markers (I used Crayola) to help express the meaning of their word! Going into this project I knew it was better suited for older grades who may have the patience to work on meticulous detail for days in a row (5th grade+).. but I wanted to see what my 3rd graders could do! If you are interested in the powerpoints and worksheets I created for this lesson - you may want to check out my store! Also available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store!
Lesson idea from K-8 Art. We first began by looking at a PowerPoint I created showcasing the work of famous heART artist Jim Dine. <3 I mean come'on... it's February. After talking about the theme of his work and examining the many mediums he worked in, we also talked about how he managed to create texture in his pieces. Then we transitioned to talking about the technique of embossing in aluminum (or repoussé or repujado) - so many different ways you can take this project. After all was said and done, I had my students create 2 different designs on pieces of 6"x6" paper - the only requirement being that it had to include at least one heart somewhere in it and some pattern for texture. I then had my kids pick their favorite design out of the two and transfer it onto a piece of tooling foil. To do the transfer they taped their design on top of a piece of aluminum tooling foil (36 gauge), then placed that on a piece of foam, then traced over their design with a colored pencil (so they could tell where they had already traced). Once the initial design was transferred, they removed the paper drawing and traced over their lines on their tooling foil a bit harder with a "pokey stick"(wooden scratch sticks). Once their image was ready, they flipped their foil over and began coloring with colored sharpies on the embossed side (the side with the raised drawing) instead of the debossed side (the side with the pushed in drawing). The results - STUNNING.
For this 3rd grade lesson (inspired by Art with Mr. E) we began by looking at the art of the Navajo Native Americans of the Southwest. Students learned about their amazing weaving skills (textiles, baskets, etc.) and their frequent use of symmetrical geometric motifs. We talked about how having symmetrical designs helped to achieve balance and harmony in their artwork. After viewing several examples, I presented students with our project - radial yarn weaving! :) Anytime my students get to work with new materials they are super excited.. and yarn is no exception. I think it's the really hands on part that they love and that they are working with materials that not all the other students get to experience. To begin, each student was given a paper plate on which I had them immediately write their name on the "front" of (the part you would eat off of), because this actually becomes the back of the artwork. Then I passed out my "cheater-plates" to each table and had students take turns tracing the odd numbered and evenly spaced triangular cuts around the plate onto their own (this saved an incredible amount of time and frustration). Once students had traced the triangular cuts from my cheater-plate onto their own, they cut them out. As they were working on that I walked around the classroom and poked a hole with a needle tool into the middle of each student's plate. Once they were finished cutting out their triangular cuts, I had them stick a pencil into the needle hole to make it wider. The next step was to take a ruler and create a straight lines from the apex of the triangular cuts to the center of the plate (essentially dividing up the plate into even "slices"). Once they were done with their lines, students got to color in their slices with crayons. I suggested sticking to a color scheme so it wasn't super random - after-all the Navajo strove for balance and harmony! Once the decoration of the loom (paper plate) was completed, it was time to add the warp strings! I knew this would be incredibly difficult to translate into words for you.. so I created a diagram to help me explain it (see below). Once the warp strings were added, students chose a color to use for their first weft string and using a plastic yarn needle, strung it through the center hole (tying the end of the yarn onto a warp string on the back of their plate). Then it was just a matter of weaving over and under and over and under and over and under until the end of time. :) I demoed this several times for my kids using my brand new document camera (yayyyyyyyy for new tech toys) and showed them what it looks like if you weave it correctly, and then what it looks like when you've missed a string in your pattern (you'll end up going under the same strings and over the same strings instead of it alternating). Once students ran out of their weft yarn, I had them choose another color of yarn and overhand-knot (like the kind of knot you use to tie a balloon or start a friendship bracelet) it onto the end of their first string and continue on. Students kept going until we ran out of time on the last day! In total we spent 5 days (about 40 minutes each class) working on this project. Day 1: Navajo powerpoint and triangular cuts to create the loom Day 2: Finish cutting and line/color plate Day 3: Add the warp strings Day 4: Weave Day 5: Weave This is definitely one of those projects that you need to be super hands-on with. Many students do not know how to tie the knots and will need to be shown how. You will definitely have students that need to be constantly reassured that they are "doing it right". And you will also likely have those students who are still having trouble getting the warp string on on day 5. My third grade classes currently all have about 35 students in them... and I remained constantly busy helping students as soon as the yarn came into the picture. Be prepared! :) Another way of doing this (inspired by pinterest - these examples created by me)... flowers! Cool idea for spring time!
Figuring out the first art project of the year with my kids is always a daunting task for me. This is why I was so excited when I found this pin of suncatchers on Pinterest (links back to the blog Make, Do, Play). I really wanted to do something that my students would have fun with and could easily be started late if new students joined my class throughout the week (I see mine for an entire week.. then rotate to the next class). My students absolutely LOVE origami and even though I'm not particularly skilled at it, the folds in this project were very simple.. so it was a easy choice! I started this project by reviewing both linear and radial symmetry with my students. We talked about the difference between the two.. then sorted a number of images based on their type of symmetry. Once I was sure my students had it down, I moved on to demonstrating two folds that they could use for the project. I folded two different examples on my document camera, while my 5th graders followed along on scrap paper. After showing them the two folds, they decided which one of the two radial suncatcher designs they wanted to create... then picked out their colors. I originally intended for this to be a color wheel lesson.. but you need to have 8 different colored papers for these designs and not 6 like a standard color wheel has. So instead they had free reign on their color choices (either way they were getting some color mixing lesson). **The paper we used was a semi-transparent colored origami paper . It think these really turned out beautifully and they were very simple to make! On Friday I hung them up in the cafeteria windows.. they look stunning in the morning light! :)
For this lesson we began by looking at a Powerpoint showing some of the work of sculpture artist Alexander Calder. We looked at some of his early work (like from when he was only 4 years old!!)... to his later more elegant and sizable pieces. We talked about how he took great interest in creating sculptures that could move (kinetic sculptures) -- including mobiles (a type of kinetic sculpture that Alexander Calder actually invented!). Students noted Calder's use of material choices, abstracted style, and building method (some mobiles were grounded, while others hung from a fixed point on the ceiling). Student's also checked out this linked video to watch one of Calder's pieces in action! Then as a class we discussed how difficult creating a mobile might actually be because the artist REALLY has to take into account the weight of the objects he/she hangs off of each branch section to keep it balanced. We also talked about how the distributed weight on branches had to be spread out a certain way too (and found that having a central hanging point was the most efficient way to distribute weight). **This part of the lesson also lends itself to being a GREAT math-integration section. Students discuss ideas of weight/volume, size, proportion, symmetry, etc. I then showed students this linked interactive website from the National Gallery of Art. The site features an interactive 'Mobile Maker' in which students can create their own digital mobiles by selecting branches, hanging pieces, and trying to properly balance and distribute weight. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this website and the kids do too! So much so that I demoed how to use the website one day, then took the kids to the computer lab the next day to play around with it. What an AMAZING interactive tool and great use of technology! The following day students began creating their own real symbolic paper mobiles. Students were given a paper plate which was to be colored completely using crayons (both sides!) in a way that represented them-self (for example coloring your plate really colorful might tell me that you are a bright and exciting person). Once the plate was completed I helped students by making a spiral cut to the center of their plate and punched a hole in the middle part (to attach a central hanging string from). This paper plate would become the central radial branch from which all symbols would be hung (we decided the day before that having a center point of gravity was the easiest way to balance a mobile). The next day students were given a sheet of scratch paper on which they wrote the numbers 1-4. Students were then asked to think of 4 different symbols which they could use to represent themselves or something about them-self. For example, on my mobile I hung a picture of a mitten because I am originally from Canada where in the winter it snows a lot. I also had a drawing of a can of pink paint because painting is one of my favorite activities to do and I'm an art teacher. The idea was that students would choose 4 symbols so that if I saw their mobile, I could learn something about who they are. *Great way to incorporate writing! You could have students write more about their symbols and why they thought they would be good symbols for themselves. Students were then given a strip of leftover watercolor paper I had from a fourth grade project I did a while back (however any kind of thicker paper - like cardstock - would work just fine). Students folded this strip in half once and then in half a second time (to create 4 sections). Using pencil students drew their symbols onto each section (front and back - it is a 3-d sculpture after all!). Once their drawings were done, they outlined their images with sharpie, and then colored them in with color sticks. Once they were done drawing/coloring their symbols, they were cut out. The next day students were given hole-punchers at their table and were asked to punch holes on the top of their symbols and somewhere along their paper plate (the exact location was chosen by them and how they wanted to distribute their symbols along their central branch). I then called students up to select 5 pieces of pre-cut yarn to use to tie their symbols onto their branches. I also had beads available in case students wanted to add a little more flair to their pieces. *It was very important to explain to students why they needed to make double-knots when tying (so symbols wouldn't come loose and fall off!). Overall I'm quite happy with how these have turned out! They are so bright and colorful and the students have really been super engaged with the whole process! This is one of those projects I can't wait to teach to my next group next week!
Just wanted to share some AMAZING pieces created by my 5th graders this week! Check out the original lesson post here.
The idea for this lesson came from an image I saw on Pinterest.. but after doing some investigative work - seems to have originated from the blog Art. Paper. Scissors. Glue and before that from the 1991 book written by Sara Beggs, "The No Nonsense Guide to Teaching Art." For this lesson we began by taking about what symmetry is and the difference between linear symmetry (1 line of symmetry) and radial symmetry (more than 1 line of symmetry). Then we talked about what a sculpture is (a piece of artwork you can see from all sides - it is 3-dimensional) and what a relief "sculpture" is (a piece of artwork that has depth on the surface but is not meant to be seen from all sides). Once students understood the principles behind radial symmetry and sculpture we began creating our very own radial paper relief sculptures! Students started by folding a piece of 12"x12" black construction paper diagonally both ways and vertical and horizontally (to create an 'X' crease and a '+' crease). Making these creases makes creating a radial design SO much easier because it gives you guidelines to work with. Once their papers had been folded and their names written, we sat them aside. Before having students begin folding their colored paper (each piece was cut to 3" x 3") to fill the inside of their design, I demonstrated 4 folds to them to get them started. *Students were allowed to deviate from these folds if they wanted to. To download the handout below, click on the arrow button in the top right corner (this will open it in a new window). You can download from there. My kids absolutely LOVED this project! They are already super into origami, so this project was like heaven to them! :) You might also be interested in checking out my Paper Poinsettia Sculpture lesson which uses the same basic concepts. Also available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store!
So this lesson is VERY similar to one I did years ago - but this time instead of looking at Gustav Klimt, we looked at contemporary artist Natasha Wescoat (image to the left is entitled "Gifted")! One of the 5th grade standards I'm supposed to teach is for students to be able to distinguish between representational, abstract, and non-objective artwork. So we looked at a variety of her art pieces and found examples of all three! For example, in her famous "jeweled tree" paintings we decided that the trees were definitely abstract.. but the "jewels" were non-objective. Afterwards we reviewed warm colors vs. cool colors. To get their artwork started, students began by drawing a horizon line with a black crayon and then painted the sky with warm colors and the ground with cool colors using liquid watercolor paint. The next day I demoed how to draw swirly trees and had my students practice it in their sketchbooks first. Once they felt confident in their ability to draw the tree, they either went ahead and drew it in sharpie on their paper.. or drew it first in pencil and then traced in sharpie. On the third and final day students finished drawing their trees if they hadn't already and then started adding their "jewels" (cut up pieces of construction paper). Overall I really like this project! It was a great choice for our Square 1 Art project! Inspired by my student's work!
EQ: What is a self-portrait? How can personal style influence one's artwork? The lego-style self-portrait project is a fun two-day lesson that is great for pretty much all elementary grade-levels! I began by talking to my students about what a self-portrait is (an artistic self-representation that an artist creates of themselves) and then looked at a variety of famous artist's self-portraits. One of the big ideas I wanted my students to take away from looking at all the famous examples, was that very often an artist's self-portrait is very reflective of his or her personal style. For example, Vincent van Gogh used the same type of iconic brushstrokes in his self-portrait as he used in a wide variety of his other paintings (like "Starry Night"). Artist Joan Miro used a similar abstracted surrealist style in his self-portrait much like the style he used in his other paintings. So when it came time for my students to create their self-portraits, I wanted them to work in a style that reflected their personal interests - and thus the lego self-portrait project began! As much as I HATE giving students a template to work from, I thought it was necessary in this case (due to time constraints and personal frustration levels) for them to have a framework to build off of, so I gave them a printout of a blank lego person to put under their papers that they could see through to build off of. The examples below were pulled from my 3rd and 4th grade classes that I had this week. Mr. Rogers??? The kids absolutely love this project! Definitely a must do! :)
Patience by ‘The Trunk of Funk’ Limited to 15 per edition - all prints come with a certificate of authenticity. A3 - Giclee print on 245 gram Decor Textured Watercolour Archival. A2 - Giclee print on Hannemuhle 310 gram German Etching Fine Art paper.
Not sure how this one fell through the cracks.. but this is a lesson I taught with a couple classes (1st and 2nd grade) in January when we were coming back from winter break. There were a couple rotations where my schedule was a little weird and we needed a good 2-day project. We began by looking at a powerpoint which introduced students to the Chinese New Year celebration (this year Chinese New Year fell on February 10th). Students saw a variety of images of the celebration which prompted a discussion of the symbolism of the various Chinese New Year icons we saw (for example - the dragon). We also watched a short video clip of a giant handmade dragon dancing in one of the parades (it even "breathed" smoke which the kids LOVED). Students then created their own collaged New Year dragons! On a piece of black construction paper, students glued down a piece of yarn. Then using pieces of scrap construction paper, students began adding to the body of their dragons. *Emphasis in this lesson was placed on creating a symmetrical dragon (which was review for my 2nd graders). After gluing down their paper, students also had the option of using construction paper crayons to add additional details to their artwork (including trying to copy the Chinese character for "luck" which I projected onto the board).
This project was born out of my need to come up with a 3 day project to do with my 3rd graders this past week (Monday was a teacher workday.. and Tuesday we ended up having off because of the 'polar vortex'). Thanks so much to the blog Miss Young's Art Room for the original idea! At first I planned to do it just with my 3rd graders.. but decided to do it with my 5th graders as well because I thought they'd really be into it - and I was right. :) Before beginning our discussion about Op Art, I showed my students a video clip that I found on youtube. The video shows an animated montage of art pieces created by the father of op art himself, Victor Vasarely. I'm happy I opened with this clip because it got ALL of my students REALLY excited about what we were going to be making. After the video clip, we began discussing what Op Art (Optical Art) is (a form of abstract art that gives the illusion of movement by the precise use of pattern and color, or in which conflicting patterns emerge and overlap). To help my students get a better understand of what optical illusions are, I showed them a PPT I put together with some of my favorite examples I found online (they LOVED this). Then onto the project! After talking about how color choice and pattern can create pretty awesome optical illusions, we looked at a variety of examples of paper weavings that I created which mimicked the Op Art style. Then I demonstrated to students how to create a paper weaving. To start with, I had students select 2 pieces of 4.5"x6" colored construction paper to create a practice weaving. They had the freedom to cut their warp and weft strips however they wanted to and could use whatever colors they desired. Once they showed me their practice example, they moved onto 9"x12" colored paper. Again they could cut their strips however they wanted to and could choose any colors (this time they had the option of picking more than 2 colors). On the whiteboard I hung a variety of examples and drew schematics next to it to show students how I created that particular example. Below are the op art paper weavings my kids created! :)
Figuring out the first art project of the year with my kids is always a daunting task for me. This is why I was so excited when I found this pin of suncatchers on Pinterest (links back to the blog Make, Do, Play). I really wanted to do something that my students would have fun with and could easily be started late if new students joined my class throughout the week (I see mine for an entire week.. then rotate to the next class). My students absolutely LOVE origami and even though I'm not particularly skilled at it, the folds in this project were very simple.. so it was a easy choice! I started this project by reviewing both linear and radial symmetry with my students. We talked about the difference between the two.. then sorted a number of images based on their type of symmetry. Once I was sure my students had it down, I moved on to demonstrating two folds that they could use for the project. I folded two different examples on my document camera, while my 5th graders followed along on scrap paper. After showing them the two folds, they decided which one of the two radial suncatcher designs they wanted to create... then picked out their colors. I originally intended for this to be a color wheel lesson.. but you need to have 8 different colored papers for these designs and not 6 like a standard color wheel has. So instead they had free reign on their color choices (either way they were getting some color mixing lesson). **The paper we used was a semi-transparent colored origami paper . It think these really turned out beautifully and they were very simple to make! On Friday I hung them up in the cafeteria windows.. they look stunning in the morning light! :)
Lisa Aisato is a well-known artist and author for children’s books in Norway. Her career started back in 2008 and since then she has released a few of her own books as well as illustrated for other authors too. Her work has also been posted in various publications, magazines, etc.
The idea for this lesson came from an image I saw on Pinterest.. but after doing some investigative work - seems to have originated from the blog Art. Paper. Scissors. Glue and before that from the 1991 book written by Sara Beggs, "The No Nonsense Guide to Teaching Art." For this lesson we began by taking about what symmetry is and the difference between linear symmetry (1 line of symmetry) and radial symmetry (more than 1 line of symmetry). Then we talked about what a sculpture is (a piece of artwork you can see from all sides - it is 3-dimensional) and what a relief "sculpture" is (a piece of artwork that has depth on the surface but is not meant to be seen from all sides). Once students understood the principles behind radial symmetry and sculpture we began creating our very own radial paper relief sculptures! Students started by folding a piece of 12"x12" black construction paper diagonally both ways and vertical and horizontally (to create an 'X' crease and a '+' crease). Making these creases makes creating a radial design SO much easier because it gives you guidelines to work with. Once their papers had been folded and their names written, we sat them aside. Before having students begin folding their colored paper (each piece was cut to 3" x 3") to fill the inside of their design, I demonstrated 4 folds to them to get them started. *Students were allowed to deviate from these folds if they wanted to. To download the handout below, click on the arrow button in the top right corner (this will open it in a new window). You can download from there. My kids absolutely LOVED this project! They are already super into origami, so this project was like heaven to them! :) You might also be interested in checking out my Paper Poinsettia Sculpture lesson which uses the same basic concepts. Also available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store!
As you might remember from last week’s post on Abigail Larson I love fantasy and fairytales. Fortunately I’m not alone: a lot of great artist share my love for magical stories! Liga Klavina for instance, an artist from Latvia with a portfolio full of fantastic, magical artwork. I love her work based on Tolkien’s oeuvre, […]
Polish born artist Parul Kuczynski takes everyday events and depicts them in a satirical way. These images definitely make you think about your environment and what is really going on in the world.
The origins of this art lesson came from a pin that I found on Pinterest connecting to the blog B Art Z - Elementary Art. I have been SO excited to blog about my new and improved cup weaving lesson! So last year I attempted to do cup weaving with my some of my students.. and while I loved the results.. the process was infuriating! For some reason I thought it was a great idea to weave with plastic cups - which made sharp jagged edges when cut by children. When that didn't go smoothly I thought myself sooooo clever to switch to styrofoam cups - which ended up making spokes (warp strips) that snapped off when pulled on to much. FINALLY I figured it out - PAPER CUPS!! These work PERFECTLY!! It is easy for the kids to cut the strips themselves AND they are surprisingly very durable. **Get them in bulk here! The first thing I had my kids do was write their name on the bottom of their cup with a sharpie. Then they placed their upside-down cup onto a template I created and made a tick mark on the rim of the cup everywhere where they saw a triangle poking out - this gave them evenly spaced points to cut from. When cutting out the spokes/warp strips, it is extremely important to remember to cut out an odd number of strips so that when you are weaving your AB pattern, the pattern alternates each consecutive time around. I found that with the 9oz cups my kids were using, 9 strips turned out to be the perfect number. Once the strips were cut, students double-knotted a piece of yarn to one of the strips, then began weaving! This particular class worked for 5 days straight on this (they really are a wonderful group).. and I had a few students who even completed 3 very well done cups in this amount of time (a couple even got pulled for our county art show)! :)
This project was born out of my need to come up with a 3 day project to do with my 3rd graders this past week (Monday was a teacher workday.. and Tuesday we ended up having off because of the 'polar vortex'). Thanks so much to the blog Miss Young's Art Room for the original idea! At first I planned to do it just with my 3rd graders.. but decided to do it with my 5th graders as well because I thought they'd really be into it - and I was right. :) Before beginning our discussion about Op Art, I showed my students a video clip that I found on youtube. The video shows an animated montage of art pieces created by the father of op art himself, Victor Vasarely. I'm happy I opened with this clip because it got ALL of my students REALLY excited about what we were going to be making. After the video clip, we began discussing what Op Art (Optical Art) is (a form of abstract art that gives the illusion of movement by the precise use of pattern and color, or in which conflicting patterns emerge and overlap). To help my students get a better understand of what optical illusions are, I showed them a PPT I put together with some of my favorite examples I found online (they LOVED this). Then onto the project! After talking about how color choice and pattern can create pretty awesome optical illusions, we looked at a variety of examples of paper weavings that I created which mimicked the Op Art style. Then I demonstrated to students how to create a paper weaving. To start with, I had students select 2 pieces of 4.5"x6" colored construction paper to create a practice weaving. They had the freedom to cut their warp and weft strips however they wanted to and could use whatever colors they desired. Once they showed me their practice example, they moved onto 9"x12" colored paper. Again they could cut their strips however they wanted to and could choose any colors (this time they had the option of picking more than 2 colors). On the whiteboard I hung a variety of examples and drew schematics next to it to show students how I created that particular example. Below are the op art paper weavings my kids created! :)
This is a lesson that I originally intended to do just with my 3rd graders... but instead decided to do with my 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders this week - and it has been incredibly successful at all levels! I got the original idea for this project from a pin I saw on pinterest, but it looks like that blog post went back to an even earlier post from Artolazzi. It appears this lesson has kinda transformed a little each time it's been done.. so here is my version! :) To begin this project, I started off by talking to my students about tertiary (or intermediate) colors and how they are made (by mixing together a primary and secondary color that sit next to each other on the color wheel - ex. blue + violet = blue-violet). The way my classroom is set up, I have 6 different color tables grouped into 3 rows (so 2 color tables per row) which just so happen to be colors that sit next to each other on the color wheel (blue/violet row, green/yellow row, and orange/red row). Each row was given the two colors of the tables it holds of tempera paint which students then used to create a piece of painted paper (12"x18") which contained all three colors (the primary, secondary, and newly created tertiary color) - students were also invited to use the back of their paint brush to draw pattern/texture into their wet paint. Once they were done painting and their work was put up on the drying rack, I had my students meet me on the carpet to read the book "Chameleon's Colors" by Chisato Tashiro. --Yes I even did this with my 5th graders who think they are too cool for school - haha. This book was a great way to introduce the project's theme (although its a little intense - when the other animals chase the chameleon to the edge of a cliff where it essentially waits to be murdered (in more or less words) -> plot twist... it doesn't - WHEW!). Then I show my kids literally the coolest video I've ever seen in my life of a chameleon changing its colors by touching a variety of colored sunglasses. After watching this video the kids are PUMPED. When they come in the next day (day 2) I've already done some prep work to their painted paper for them - I've pressed their papers (to make them flat) and cut them down from a 12"x18" piece to one 9"x12" piece (for the body), and eight 3"x4.5" pieces (for the head, additional details, and a bunch of extra scraps). To create our chameleons I have my students follow my directions step-by-step to make sure we are all on the same page. In order to better illustrate the steps, I created the following visuals to help explain: On step #3 I explain it's kind of like they are folding a paper airplane. On step #4 I tell the kids that when they fold those little extra triangular pieces down, it looks like a collared shirt (this helps some of them understand what it should look like). **It is extremely important that you have the kids cut to the fold (I actually have them do a LITTLE past the fold) on step #5 or else the chameleon's body won't move/bend properly. Body took one class (45 min) to build (most students did not attach legs this day). The next day (day 3) we create the head: On step #3 it helps to tell students that the "x" fold will make their paper look like a kite (if they don't already tell you that first!). One step #4 I tell them it's like we are cutting little legs for our paper. I take one "leg" (or triangle) in one hand and one in the other.. then tell them to "cross the legs" - this helps them overlap those pieces to create their form. Time permitting: We attach the heads to the little extra folded tab we have left on the body with a piece of tape. **This part is tricky for the kids so be prepared to help if needed! On day 4 I have the kids attach the head (if not done so already) and continue adding the additional details they are missing (like the legs, eyes, and tongue). Students who finish early are invited to use extra scrap paper from other tables to add pattern to their chameleon's body.
by: Julie Howard "She had indeed loved him, comforted him and been faithful to him. What was a little repugnance and disgust along the way?" “Coded,” he said disdainfully under his breath. “What?” She was cooking and couldn’t
Just wanted to share some AMAZING pieces created by my 5th graders this week! Check out the original lesson post here.
The origins of this art lesson came from a pin that I found on Pinterest connecting to the blog B Art Z - Elementary Art. I have been SO excited to blog about my new and improved cup weaving lesson! So last year I attempted to do cup weaving with my some of my students.. and while I loved the results.. the process was infuriating! For some reason I thought it was a great idea to weave with plastic cups - which made sharp jagged edges when cut by children. When that didn't go smoothly I thought myself sooooo clever to switch to styrofoam cups - which ended up making spokes (warp strips) that snapped off when pulled on to much. FINALLY I figured it out - PAPER CUPS!! These work PERFECTLY!! It is easy for the kids to cut the strips themselves AND they are surprisingly very durable. **Get them in bulk here! The first thing I had my kids do was write their name on the bottom of their cup with a sharpie. Then they placed their upside-down cup onto a template I created and made a tick mark on the rim of the cup everywhere where they saw a triangle poking out - this gave them evenly spaced points to cut from. When cutting out the spokes/warp strips, it is extremely important to remember to cut out an odd number of strips so that when you are weaving your AB pattern, the pattern alternates each consecutive time around. I found that with the 9oz cups my kids were using, 9 strips turned out to be the perfect number. Once the strips were cut, students double-knotted a piece of yarn to one of the strips, then began weaving! This particular class worked for 5 days straight on this (they really are a wonderful group).. and I had a few students who even completed 3 very well done cups in this amount of time (a couple even got pulled for our county art show)! :)
5th graders viewed the work of Austrian painter Gustav Klimt this week. We talked about his use of gold leaf in his paintings and his abstract style. I was surprised how many 5th graders still didn't really understand what the term "abstract" refers to.. so I explained it by comparing it to its opposite - realistic. I asked my students to imagine they had a camera and took a photograph of an object with it. The photograph would look EXACTLY like what the camera saw when it took the picture - this is realistic - it is exactly what the object looked like in real life. I explain that "abstract" is like the opposite; it is not realistic like a photograph, but instead, just looks similar to to the object. In abstract art, the artist often cares more about color choices, shape, lines, etc... than about trying to copy the way something looked exactly. Oftentimes they use objects symbolically as well.. so they are only trying to capture the essence or the idea of the object. The students who are still confused typically catch on after I show them Klimt's "Tree of Life." For this project I had students use liquid watercolors to paint a background. Once that dried, they used pencil to draw on their swirling trees and then used sharpie to color them in. Afterwards students had the option of apply colored foil for decoration (just like how Klimt used gold)! I really like how these turned out.. and the kids really liked their results as well! Nice relaxing project! :) To see how this project evolved over the years, check out this art lesson inspired by artist Natasha Wescoat!
maxshimasu-fire-and-water: Flowers and a cat by Suvorova Olga, oil on canvas. via Academy of Arts Foundation, SPb, Russia
Artists Inspiring Other Artists to Become Better Educators
We began this 4th grade project by looking at a PowerPoint I put together about the artist Colleen Wilcox. She is a young and contemporary Hawaii-based artist who does the most beautiful abstract acrylic work you've ever seen!! Link to here website here. We viewed a ton of her paintings and then talked about how she really creates movement with the types of lines she uses (wavy, spiral, curvy, etc.). We also talked about the amazing use of color in her work! This was a great opportunity to talk about blending colors and analogous color schemes! For our artwork I started students out with a piece of white 9"x9" drawing paper. Students created sketches which demonstrated their ability to create movement with lines and their ability to be inspired by their surroundings. Then they were given a final piece of black 9"x9" construction paper. On this paper they did their final drawing and then outlined it with glue. Once the glue was dry, we filled in the spaces with chalk pastel. Ohhhhhhhh how messy. :/ I did demonstrate procedures for dust control however (such as tapping their artwork onto a piece of wet paper towel to catch excess dust vs. blowing on it). The kids overall did a great job being mindful of my rules and procedures... but of goodness were we messy afterwards -- I'm talking itty-bitty pieces of chalk pastel on my floor that turned into giant color explosions when accidentally stepped on! If you're interested in a more thorough lesson with all the necessary resources, check out my store! Also available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store!
DISPATCH - Mar 18, 2012 (1:24 p.m.) NEW YORK, NY Andrea Kowch won a top spot during a global artist search sponsored by SCOPE New York. The painter who combines Goth with an Old Masters style was
The idea for this lesson came from an image I saw on Pinterest.. but after doing some investigative work - seems to have originated from the blog Art. Paper. Scissors. Glue and before that from the 1991 book written by Sara Beggs, "The No Nonsense Guide to Teaching Art." For this lesson we began by taking about what symmetry is and the difference between linear symmetry (1 line of symmetry) and radial symmetry (more than 1 line of symmetry). Then we talked about what a sculpture is (a piece of artwork you can see from all sides - it is 3-dimensional) and what a relief "sculpture" is (a piece of artwork that has depth on the surface but is not meant to be seen from all sides). Once students understood the principles behind radial symmetry and sculpture we began creating our very own radial paper relief sculptures! Students started by folding a piece of 12"x12" black construction paper diagonally both ways and vertical and horizontally (to create an 'X' crease and a '+' crease). Making these creases makes creating a radial design SO much easier because it gives you guidelines to work with. Once their papers had been folded and their names written, we sat them aside. Before having students begin folding their colored paper (each piece was cut to 3" x 3") to fill the inside of their design, I demonstrated 4 folds to them to get them started. *Students were allowed to deviate from these folds if they wanted to. To download the handout below, click on the arrow button in the top right corner (this will open it in a new window). You can download from there. My kids absolutely LOVED this project! They are already super into origami, so this project was like heaven to them! :) You might also be interested in checking out my Paper Poinsettia Sculpture lesson which uses the same basic concepts. Also available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store!
