student gallery
Imaginary places post cards: grades k-5
Big Idea: Imaginary Places
Students created art in the form of a postcard. They were to pretend to be sending a postcard from an imagined place or scenario. Using pencils, colored pencils, crayons and/or markers, they created a picture on the front of a postcard based on different themes for each grade level. They were shown a variety of illustrated books including Dr. Seuss for inspiration. On day 2, they wrote a message on the other side to reflect their imagined experience. The message works as a creative short essay that is written as though the postcard was really coming from the imagined place.
Students created art in the form of a postcard. They were to pretend to be sending a postcard from an imagined place or scenario. Using pencils, colored pencils, crayons and/or markers, they created a picture on the front of a postcard based on different themes for each grade level. They were shown a variety of illustrated books including Dr. Seuss for inspiration. On day 2, they wrote a message on the other side to reflect their imagined experience. The message works as a creative short essay that is written as though the postcard was really coming from the imagined place.
cake painting: grade 5
Big Idea: Making Connections: Famous Artists and Literature
During the Authors in April event students read and discussed the book Tangle of Knots by Lisa Graff. Students also learned about the artist Wayne Thiebaud and his cake paintings. They took inspiration from images of actual cakes, as well as Wayne Thiebaud’s cakes to design and paint a cake inspired by the book. They mixed paint colors to create tints and shades giving their cakes value. Student also used various tools such as paint brushes and palette knives to experiment creating texture on their cakes. Students wrote about their paintings using SHoM sentence starters to reflect on their work.
During the Authors in April event students read and discussed the book Tangle of Knots by Lisa Graff. Students also learned about the artist Wayne Thiebaud and his cake paintings. They took inspiration from images of actual cakes, as well as Wayne Thiebaud’s cakes to design and paint a cake inspired by the book. They mixed paint colors to create tints and shades giving their cakes value. Student also used various tools such as paint brushes and palette knives to experiment creating texture on their cakes. Students wrote about their paintings using SHoM sentence starters to reflect on their work.
Foil lizards: grade 4
The Big Idea: Making Connection to Mexican tin art (culture), Natural science, and Literature
For the Authors in April event students were introduced to the book Double Dog Dare by Lisa Graff. [The children in the story choose to dare each other in order to decide who will win the News Anchor position in Media Club. The very first dare was a boy who had to lick a lizard.] Students made lizards to honor the dare in the story. Students learned about lizards in nature by comparing different images of lizards, looking at shapes, patterns, and colors. Then they learned about Mexican Tin Art (Folk Art) which was the inspiration for the foil lizard designs.
For the Authors in April event students were introduced to the book Double Dog Dare by Lisa Graff. [The children in the story choose to dare each other in order to decide who will win the News Anchor position in Media Club. The very first dare was a boy who had to lick a lizard.] Students made lizards to honor the dare in the story. Students learned about lizards in nature by comparing different images of lizards, looking at shapes, patterns, and colors. Then they learned about Mexican Tin Art (Folk Art) which was the inspiration for the foil lizard designs.
Light Ships: grade 3
The Big Idea: Making Connections to Art, Literature, and Natural Science
For the Authors in April event students read the book Lightship by Brain Floca. They learned how a lightship stays in the ocean during all times of the day and through all types of weather so it can direct other ships. They looked at landscape pictures of different skies during all times of the day and discussed the colors of the sky and water. Then they painted an ocean seascape with watercolor paint and added their own painted lightships using cardstock and construction paper. They added details to the ships and water using permanent marker and chalk pastels.
For the Authors in April event students read the book Lightship by Brain Floca. They learned how a lightship stays in the ocean during all times of the day and through all types of weather so it can direct other ships. They looked at landscape pictures of different skies during all times of the day and discussed the colors of the sky and water. Then they painted an ocean seascape with watercolor paint and added their own painted lightships using cardstock and construction paper. They added details to the ships and water using permanent marker and chalk pastels.
Scrap fabric weaving: Grade 3
The Big Idea: Recycling / Unwanted scraps can be used to make decorative art
Students learned that tapestry weaving is used as decorative art. They learned to recycle unwanted scrap material by making their own decorative weaving using the scrap fabric. They warped a loom with yarn and cut or ripped pieces of fabric, and then wove the fabric to create a pattern. The ends were tied off and hung from the sides. A stick and string were added to hang their weaving for decoration.
Students learned that tapestry weaving is used as decorative art. They learned to recycle unwanted scrap material by making their own decorative weaving using the scrap fabric. They warped a loom with yarn and cut or ripped pieces of fabric, and then wove the fabric to create a pattern. The ends were tied off and hung from the sides. A stick and string were added to hang their weaving for decoration.
A Room of Your own: grade 3
The Big Idea: Creative Spaces
In this lesson, 3rd grade students created an interior room using watercolor paint, adding wants & needs such as furniture, rugs, hanging pictures, etc. They learned how to arrange objects in space, using colors and patterns to evoke a mood or a feeling based on Vincent van Gogh and Henri Matisse’s interior room paintings.
In this lesson, 3rd grade students created an interior room using watercolor paint, adding wants & needs such as furniture, rugs, hanging pictures, etc. They learned how to arrange objects in space, using colors and patterns to evoke a mood or a feeling based on Vincent van Gogh and Henri Matisse’s interior room paintings.
Van Gogh Flowers : grade 2
The Big Idea: Color schemes in nature
Students learned about Vincent van Gogh from the book Van Gogh (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists) by Mike Venezia (optional video to go along with the book). They made a vase full of flowers inspired by Van Gogh’s Sunflower painting. They created a symmetrical vase and designed it with oil pastels. Students also learned about the color wheel and how to recognize color combinations in nature, especially flowers. They chose a color scheme (warm, cool, or complimentary) and made their flowers out of tissue paper.
Students learned about Vincent van Gogh from the book Van Gogh (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists) by Mike Venezia (optional video to go along with the book). They made a vase full of flowers inspired by Van Gogh’s Sunflower painting. They created a symmetrical vase and designed it with oil pastels. Students also learned about the color wheel and how to recognize color combinations in nature, especially flowers. They chose a color scheme (warm, cool, or complimentary) and made their flowers out of tissue paper.
Ceramic Necklaces : Grade 1
The Big Idea: Jewelry is wearable art
We reviewed the basic properties of clay and glaze and then I showed images of different ceramic necklaces. Then students made their own pendant and beads for a necklace. They learned to apply a variety of stamp techniques to create a textured print on their pendant (including a shoe print). Some students also chose to create a small pocket with their thumb to allow space for colored glass pieces to be added for a jewel-like look. They made several beads that were strung to their necklace with the pendant. The students chose to give these to their mother for Mother’s Day.
We reviewed the basic properties of clay and glaze and then I showed images of different ceramic necklaces. Then students made their own pendant and beads for a necklace. They learned to apply a variety of stamp techniques to create a textured print on their pendant (including a shoe print). Some students also chose to create a small pocket with their thumb to allow space for colored glass pieces to be added for a jewel-like look. They made several beads that were strung to their necklace with the pendant. The students chose to give these to their mother for Mother’s Day.
Expressive teeth: Grade 1
The Big Idea: Making Connections to Art, Health Science, and Literature
During the Authors in April event students read the book Open Wide by Laurie Keller. They learned about proper tooth care in this wonderfully illustrated book. Students made a tooth inspired by the characteristics of emotions and facial expressions from the page in the book titled “9 Common Reactions to Cavities”. After learning about different shapes of teeth, they drew a tooth with a facial expression. Then, they cut the tooth out and gave it pants using scrapbook paper for the root.
During the Authors in April event students read the book Open Wide by Laurie Keller. They learned about proper tooth care in this wonderfully illustrated book. Students made a tooth inspired by the characteristics of emotions and facial expressions from the page in the book titled “9 Common Reactions to Cavities”. After learning about different shapes of teeth, they drew a tooth with a facial expression. Then, they cut the tooth out and gave it pants using scrapbook paper for the root.
hatching Chicks: Kindergarten
The Big Idea: Renewal
Making Connections between Natural Science and Art
One way that people celebrate the arrival of the Spring season is with eggs. Eggs have long been a traditional symbol for the renewal of life. Students learned about the life cycle of a chicken, watched a video of a chick hatching, and viewed various types (colors) of chicks. Students made a mixed media painting about the stages of a chick hatching; an egg, a chick hatching, and a chick standing. The chicks were painted using sponges to create texture. Then students added various colored feathers to the last chick for wings.
Making Connections between Natural Science and Art
One way that people celebrate the arrival of the Spring season is with eggs. Eggs have long been a traditional symbol for the renewal of life. Students learned about the life cycle of a chicken, watched a video of a chick hatching, and viewed various types (colors) of chicks. Students made a mixed media painting about the stages of a chick hatching; an egg, a chick hatching, and a chick standing. The chicks were painted using sponges to create texture. Then students added various colored feathers to the last chick for wings.
Book ILLUSTRATION inspired drawings: grades K-5
lines and shapes: grades k-1
stages of artistic development: kindergarten
This was a developmental observation based on Lowenfeld's stages of artistic development. I asked the kindergarten class to draw a picture of their family on one paper, and on the other they could choose anything they wanted to draw. I got to see a wide variety in developmental stages within the same age group. They were mostly in the preschematic to schematic stages (manipulative / symbol-making stage). Some showed relational concepts while repeating symbols with slight variations. Some students also considered the environment as they placed the people at the bottom of the page (baseline), or added a sky with a sun. Other students clustered the people all over the page. This was a great way to assess the students' artistic level at the beginning of the year.