FLW Spooky House

The 4th grade students studied Architecture.  We talked about what the architect Frank Lloyd Wright and learned what an architect does.  Students were able to learn what an arch, vault, cantilever and a post and lintel are.  Students had to use at least two of these characteristics when they were designing their house sculptures and had to identify them.  Students were able to learn what a sculpture is and we talked about the various materials a sculpture can be made out of.  Students worked really hard using various recycled materials to create a unique haunted house sculpture.  Finally students were able to add patterns using metallic paint to complete their sculptures.

Day of the Dead Skulls

Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de los Muertos) is a holiday celebrated by many in Mexico and by some Mexican Americans living in the United States. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts. The Day of the Dead is a time of celebration where eating and partying are common.

Fifth graders learned about the Mexican holiday, Day of the Dead through two short videos and a classroom discussion. We drew our skulls from printed handouts. Fifth graders were encouraged to make their skull look festive by creating a hat and adding other details to their drawing.

Tree Silhouettes

Third graders learned that a silhouette is the image of an object or scene represented as a solid shape, single color, and it's edges matching the outline of the subject.

In class we did a Smartboard activity where the third graders had to guess the silhouette of a famous person- can you name all the silhouettes?

Students used chalk pastel to create the sky and moon background. Next they learned a different approach to painting a fall tree by using a piece of cardboard for their paintbrush. Students used the cardboard to paint in the trunk and thick branches of the tree by using a scraping motion, and then skinny branches by using a stamping technique with the cardboard. Students used only one color to create a silhouette- like effect. They did a great job!

Water Color Scarecrows

2nd graders read the story The Little Scarecrow Boy by Margaret Wise Brown. Students then reviewed shapes, vertical, and horizontal lines. By knowing these art words and being able to draw them, students were able to create a wonderful scarecrow drawing. Together, we drew the scarecrow step by step. Students then reviewed how to carefully outline their drawings with oil pastel by staying on top of the original pencil line.

Finally, students used watercolor to paint in their beautiful drawings. We reviewed proper paint techniques and how to hold our paint brushes to have the most control of our paint.

They turned out great! Students did a great job following directions!

Geometric Shape Owls

In Art class, first graders studied shapes and learned the difference between geometric and free-form shapes. Geometric shapes are math shapes, such as circles, triangles, rectangles or squares. Free-form shapes are shapes that are uneven and not regular and often made up by the artist, like the shape of a leaf or cloud. Students each created an owl using only geometric shapes. This project was also great for first graders to work on their basic art skills of using scissors safely, cutting, and gluing! They also learned several facts about owls, go ahead, ask them! Way to go first grade artists!

Learning Targets:

I can hold my scissors correctly and safely.

I can cut in a straight line with no jagged edges.

I can use the correct amount of glue.

I can make sure all pieces of paper are glued down flat.

Paper Collage Frankenstein

2nd graders learned about collage art, where artists use paper and other materials to construct an artwork. Students read a short story about Dr. Frankenstein and how he created Frankenstein. Students reviewed geometric and freeform shapes; and were able to identify which shapes were which when constructing their Frankensteins. 2nd graders also were working on their cutting and gluing skills throughout this project.

Learning Targets for project were:

• I can identify geometric and freeform shapes.
• I can use the correct amount glue.
• I can glue with the tip of my glue bottle touching my paper.
• I can make sure all pieces of paper are glued flat.
• I can cut paper shapes so the edges are smooth, not jagged.

Modrian Spider Webs

Van Gogh Pumpkin Patch

3rd graders learned about the artist Vincent Van Gogh through a short video. They learned about the warm and cool colors of the color wheel, and how to create concentric circles.

Students did two pencil drawings of a pumpkin and then colored it in with oil pastel using warm colors. Students were shown how to blend oil pastels using their thumb and starting from the outer part of their pumpkin and working their way in. Students then outlined pumpkin in black and cut out.

Students then used the cool colors to create the background for the pumpkins. Students used concentric circles in the sky to give it a “Van Gogh feel”. Students then colored in grass with different shades of green, and then glued pumpkins on.

They did a great job. Students learned about craftsmanship and taking their time coloring in and blending with this project.

Learning Targets:

• I can identify warm and cool colors.
• I can color neatly using the correct pressure.
• I can blend my colors using the techniques demonstrated by the teacher.

#Student Selfies

I started the year at a new school this year, same district. But NO MORE TRAVELING for me!!! It has been so wonderful being in only one building. I have never had so much prep time in my whole career now that I'm not  buzzing around town between schools.
So I have 500 or so new names to learn of all my students. I thought a perfect beginning of the year project would be self portraits. Since I had to unpack 8 years of art teaching hoarding, I wanted an easy lesson with little prep. I found this lesson with all the templates in both English and Spanish on the Teachers Pay Teacher website, which was submitted by Art With Jenny K (THANK YOU!)

The kids loved it, it puts a modern spin on self portraits, and used language they are familiar with. And it was nice to get a piece of artwork up from every student right away.