Literacy in Art

Since I have been back I have really been focusing in my younger grades, literacy. Student's love to listen to stories and create a work about it. In the second grade classrooms they have been learning about how to positively effect an environment. Mrs. Rumphis is such a great story to illustrate that. I saw this lesson on again Fine Lines blogspot. You can find her lesson here.

This was a two day lesson for us. here are some of our examples.

Kindergarten: If the Dinosaurs Came Back to my Town

Where I found this idea. http://elementaryartroom.blogspot.com/

First Grade: Arlo Needs Glasses. One day Art Lesson. Found this idea here

This past week several first graders in my class wear glasses, so they thought this lesson was so cool. Just like the story says, Glasses Rock!

This is a lesson I am also doing with Second after Mrs. Rumphis. From the book "The Tree Lady". Their classes are starting a unit with the book next week. I love how it can all connect. 

 and just one example. I will post more later.

I got this idea from here

Second grade Impressionistic Painting

 Second Graders had fun learning about the life and work of Claude Monet and looked at several of "Japanese Bridge" paintings. We discussed En Plein Air, and how to paint like an impressionistic artists. Student's looked one of his paintings on the smart board, and mixed and used similar colors (blue, green, light blue,yellow) by quickly dabbing the colors. Bridges were made first with painters tape. See pics below.

 The next class time tape came off and we studied what water lilies looked like in real life and how differently Monet painted them. They were carefully painted with a palette of red, purple, pink and green. The last thing was to add a shadow on bridge with gray paint.

Clay, Clay, Clay

Third Grade cupcakes

Second Grade slab bowls. They are upside down over a hump mold (styro foam bowl) student stamped texture on these slabs, which you can not see. After bisque fire we will glaze and melt glass in these. 

Fifth Grade coil pottery

All my classes are doing clay right now, well except for Kindergarten. I know I am crazy. Here are some green ware examples on the kiln cart, drying slowly under plastic. I opened it up and took a pic. Fourth grade started today face pottery, those are GREAT too. I'll include later.

What's been going on the art room in February!

I take tons of photos on my phone during class! However getting them to my blog is another story. Here are some  super fun things some grade levels have been working on the past couple of weeks.

Fourth Grade: Circke Weaving on coat hanger. A NEW WEAVING PROJECT FOR ME! Great idea from Mrs. Picasso's Art Room. Her blog has a great directions on how to make the loom and get started. 

Don't let the pink shirt fool you. This is boy! He and few more fourth grade boys have  proven to be my best and fastest weavers!

Two classes hung on wall waiting.....to be worked on. Not done yet. Great way  to store  in between class times. Kids just pick them up as they walk into room. 

First Grade student working on Clay heart. This lesson was on Jim Dine. These are done actually. Ill post finished pics later. 

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Third Grade Gyotaku lesson. Student's inking and rubbing their fish. These are done too. More pics to come soon. 

Second Grade Japanese Bridges. These student's are dabbing away with quick  prints to capture Monet's brush style. One more day to wrap these up! Ill post more finished pics later. 

Tree of Life-Second Grade Art Lessons

 In Second grade I have always taught a lesson inspired by Gustav Klimt's work. Students learn about the life and work of the artists. We discuss his works, such as The Baby, Tree of Life, The Kiss, Adele Bloch Bower (compare and contrast both of her paintings. Usually we do a lesson on The Baby. However this year I wanted to tackle the painting Tree of Life. 

Because I have two schedules of second grade, one group first nine weeks and the other second nine weeks, I did two different lessons.

The above lesson was inspired for me by another blogger. www.marymaking.blogspot.com. Her examples were beautiful. I just couldn't resist trying it out.

The other lesson below was an idea I put together myself. The background was created with watercolor. 

1. Mixing and making all color families. 2. Black tempera tree with famous Klimt swirls. 3. tropical birds and repeated gold and shiny sequins.

I'm not sure which I like the best. Both really. However I do feel that all students were successful with second lesson. It was simple and didn't require the painting of shapes and dots. 

Which do you think?

Wow what a colorful perched bird.