Name Painting

This lesson required us to create our name using different mediums. The first step was to take our white piece of construction paper and fold it to create 12 squares. Next, we glued the white paper onto a large piece of construction paper. Then we took a stack of 6 colored construction paper squares. Now it was time to create a pattern. First a colored square then a white then a colored. This repeated until you go the whole sheet covered. 
Then we created a pattern by writing our name in oil pastels. I started by making my M orange, then O purple, and R green. I repeated that color pattern with the remaining letters in my name. Now we painted over the letters that were on the white squares. We used water color to paint over it. Because we wrote our names in oil pastels, the water color resisted the oil pastel and only went on the paper. 

An extension activity would be to have the students create symbols in each square that represent something important to them. It would be a fun way to learn about your students at the beginning of the year like we did with our feet. Another fun way would be to draw a picture that beings with the same letter as the one in your name. For example, I would draw a monkey for M, an orange for O, etc. 

Implementing Art History

I think it would be fun to do an art gallery with the students. They could create their own art work from artists who inspired them. The students would learn about the different artists and periods of time they created their pieces in. Then when all the students have created their pieces, you could have an art gallery showing one night when they students display their work and have family and friends come and view their work. 

Gone Fishing With Paper Plate Fish

Another project we did this week was paper plate fish. At the beginning of the lesson, we talked about geometric shapes and patterns. The first step was to create a geometric pattern using 3 different shapes on a piece of scrap paper. One requirement was we had to have a square in our pattern. Then we copied that pattern onto the grid that was made on our fish. Each shape had to be a different color and it had to fill up the entire square. After we drew and colored each shape, we could color the rest of our fish. We could use whatever pattern and colors we wanted to color the rest of our fish. 

Once our fish was colored, we cut the mouth out. The piece that we cut out became the fin of our fish. Now we were given our back tail fin. We were allowed to color it however we pleased. The last steps were to glue on an eye and draw gills between the mouth and fin. 

An extension activity would be to incorporate this into a science lesson. The students could do an in-depth study of fish. We had to draw fins on our fish, so the students could study about gills and other parts of the fish. They could also learn about where different fish live and their life cycle. 

Patchwork Quilt

This week we created cute patchwork quilts. I have to admit, I had a little trouble with the project because I am a perfectionist and I couldn't get all of my squares to line up perfectly. However, it turned out really cute. 

First we started out by picking out 8 pieces of 12"x 12" scrap booking paper. The next step was to chose 4 of those papers and cut a 4 inch square out of each of those 4 papers. Those squares were the background pieces of our quilt. Next, we took the circle pattern and cut out a circle from each of the remaining 4 pieces of paper. Now we glued the circles to the middle of each square. Each square had a circle in the middle of it, and we could choose which circle went with each square. 

Now that the circles were glued down, we took our smaller 1" square pattern and traced it 4 times on the back of each 4" square. After we traced and cut all of the smaller squares out, we had 16 1" squares. Then we got to chose the arrangement of all of the smaller squares. I just kept switching them around until I found which pattern I liked best. Next, we glued them down leaving a boarder around all of them. When we glued them down, we had the option to glue them all together or separate each of the 4" squares. After we were done gluing, we had to draw a boarder around the edge. I chose to decorate the corners. 

An extension activity would be to crate a real class quilt. Each child could decorate a square using fabric markers. The child could draw something that represented them, or use a topic you are learning about. It would be fun to do an abc quilt and each student has to come up with an item that starts with that letter. For example, if the students were studying Lewis and Clark the students could each draw something that starts with  the letter that has meaning to the Lewis and Clark adventure. The students would be learning and creating at the same time. 

Pinch Pots

This week we created pinch pots using clay. The first step was to roll our clay into a nice, round ball. Then we pushed our thumbs into the middle and started to pinch creating a hole in the middle. I had to be careful so I didn't make a hole all the way through. There needed to be clay at the bottom of the hole to create a bottom for our pot. Then we just continued to pinch around the hole to create the size and shape we desired. This step took some time and patience. 

Then it was time to smooth out the pot. To do this, you needed a cup of water to dip your hand into. All we had to do was get our hand wet in the cup of water, then start rubbing and smoothing out our pot. You don't have to use a lot of water, just a little worked well. By using the water, it smoothed out all of the finger prints and cracks that were formed when we were pinching the pot. 

Next we carved symbols into the clay using small wooden tools that looked like large toothpicks. The symbols had to represent things that are important to us. I did a heart to represent the love for my family and friends, a fish and pole to show my love of fishing, flip flops because I love to wear them and hate socks, a flower because I love to garden and an ice cream cone because that is my favorite food. 

Now it was time to paint our pots. It was great that we could paint them when the clay was still wet. We used acrylic paint so it didn't crack, like tempera paint. I mixed blue and yellow and white to make a green color for the inside of my pot. I used white for the outside. I had to make sure I didn't get a lot of paint inside my carvings. After I was done painting, I used the carving tool to get any paint out of the carvings. 

An extension activity would be to study cultures that made clay pots for their own use or to sell to others. You could also study cultures that used symbols in their art work or to tell a story. It would be a really fun social studies unit! 

Springtime Printmaking

This lesson was taught by Molly and Brittany. Their lesson focused on print making. The first step to their lesson was to think of something that dealt with spring. I chose a bird. Then I had to draw the bird on a 12" x 18" piece of construction paper. I drew the parts of my bird separately rather than making it all one picture.  

The next step to this project was to pick 3 items that would create different textures on my bird. The items we could choose between were: marshmallows, Q-tips, sponge, cardboard, toy cars, cups and forks, golf balls. I chose to use a sponge for the body, Q-tip for the wing, and cardboard for the beak. 

Next we were given acrylic paint. My partner and I chose to mix colors to create colors other than the primary colors we were given. I mixed blue and red to create the purple. I used red and yellow to make orange for the beak. And I mixed blue and yellow to make green then added more blue and white to create the wing color. 

Then we dipped our texture items into the paint and covered our drawing. We were supposed to leave some white space to help you see what items you used. I may have used too much paint on mine. Once I was done painting and it dried, I cut and glued my beak, wing, and construction paper legs onto my bird's body. 

An extension activity is to incorporate math. You could teach the students about patterns that happen when you create this picture. If you used the car, the tires would have created a pattern. 

Melting Into Spring

This was the lesson I peer taught with Teresa Edelman. For our lesson we taught crayon melting. For our anticipatory set, we had the students go on a bug hunt around the classroom. They seemed to have a lot of fun searching for the bugs. We also played a clip from A Bug's Life. 

For our lesson, we have the students 2 pieces of folded wax paper, crayons, and a file. We then taught the students how to properly shave the crayons onto the open sheet of wax paper. The students were to shave until one side of the wax paper was completely covered. They then walked slowly walked to the back of the room where Teresa and I were waiting to iron their shavings. The students had the choice between us pressing and lifting the iron to keep the colors more separated or the smear the colors together. 

Once the students had their melted crayon sheet, the students began to create their bug. We provided them with bug patterns they could trace, or they could create their own. The students then cut out their bug and placed it onto a piece of construction paper to give it more stability and to add more color. 

The students then could decorate their bug with crayons, oil pastels, Sharpie, or create another melted crayon sheet. 

An extension activity that could go along with this is to correlate it to the bug unit they are doing in science. The students could have to place specific features of bugs they are learning about, such as legs, antennas and wings, on their bug creation.  

Yarn Balloon Eggs

This was a really fun project taught by Amanda and Meghan. The first step to this project was to blow up a small water balloon. It may sound easy, but it was really hard to get it blown up! Once your balloon was ready, we then made a mixture of Elmer's glue and water. This created our glue paste. Next, we choose our yarn color. We needed 20 pieces of yarn that were 20 inches long. 

Next came the fun part! We placed a piece of yarn in the glue mixture and then scraped off the extra with a spoon as we pulled it out of the mixture. Once the yarn strand was covered, we placed it around the balloon. It was important to make sure the ends overlapped to prevent any gaps. We kept repeating this process until the balloon was mostly covered and only had small gaps. 

Once we were finished, we placed the balloon in a cup to dry. After it was try, the teachers popped the balloon and our egg was finished. 

An extension activity would be a math lesson to explore the different shapes made from the gaps in the yarn. Some may not be actual shapes, but you can talk about what a shape is called when it has a certain amount of sides. 

Blooming Into Spring

This was a peer taught lesson which focused on the technique of crayon resist. We used 9" x 9" paper for this project. For this lesson, we had to draw a flower. There were no specifications as to which kind of flower, it just had to be a flower. We got to choose between crayons or oil pastels to draw our flower. Then we got to draw our flower, which needed to take up the entire paper. When we colored our flower, we needed to color very hard and leave not white spots on the flower. 

Once we were done coloring, we then took watered down tempera paint and brushed it all over our flower. Then we took a paper towel and brushed the paint off. It was important to do this quickly after you place the paint on the paper. You need to brush the paint of in the same direction that your flower petals go. If you don't, the paint will not brush off properly. Then let your picture dry. 

An extension activity for this is to use it when doing a plant unit in science. The students can create the flowers you are talking about it class. You could also use it when talking about other plants such as vegetable plants for different types of trees. 

Hidden Safari

Today in class we made an art project called "Hidden Safari". Before you begin, you will want to decide on an animal to draw. Pick an animal that you would see if you were to go on a safari. I chose an elephant for mine. If you would like a reference picture, print an outline of your animal out. 

To begin the activity, take your picture outline and turn in upside down. Now begin drawing your picture upside down, just like the outline in front of you. You heard me right, upside down! This will help you to better focus on the lines rather than the whole picture. You will want to draw the picture with a sky blue colored pencil and press lightly. You do not want your lines to be dark. 

Once you have finished drawing your picture, get 3 warm colored crayons. You will use these to create the design that will hide your animal. Start with the yellow. Make any type of design you want, I chose triangles, and have them cover your entire paper. Then move onto orange with a different patter. Then finally do the same with the red. You will want to press harder with the crayons than you did with the colored pencil. 

Now your animal is completely hidden so you will need to make glasses to find it! Use a piece of construction paper to make a superhero mask with the eye spots open. Take a piece of red film/plastic and place over the eye area. Glue it onto your construction paper. Don't put a lot of glue or it will squish all over your face when you use the glasses. Now look at your animal! Do you see it? You can also use a piece of card stock to write 3 clues about your animal. Don't forget to place it on a larger piece of construction paper to frame your work! 

An extension activity would be to carry this over into science. This would be a great lesson to do when talking to students about animals who are camouflaged. Animals use camouflage to hid and protect themselves from others and you could explain how the art animals are hidden too. 

Eric Carle Project

This week we had to create our own picture that would be in a children's book. I chose to do an underwater scene with a sea turtle, coral, fish, and seaweed. To create this picture, we used the same technique Eric Carle does to create his books. First we took 12x18 sheets of paper and painted on them, covering the entire piece of paper. The paint we used had wallpaper paste added to it, and we made our paper damp before we painted. The only paint colors we were given were: red, yellow, blue, white, and black. We had to mix the colors from those to get the color we desired. Also, we could use anything to create texture to our picture. I used my hands to create the blue waves and a stamp to create the texture on the green for the turtle. 

After we finished painting, we sketched what would be our drawing. After the paint was dry, we then began cutting our our pieces. We had to figure out what color we wanted each object to be, then laid our sketch over top, and cut it out using an Xacto knife. This took awhile and a lot of patients because you had to cut each individual piece out and then place it onto the background. 

Once we had all the pieces cut and glued, we had to create a story line for our page. Mine says "Timothy the Turtle quickly swam back home." 

An extension activity you could do with this lesson is an artist study on Eric Carle. You could read all of his books and talk about them. It would be fun to do this around the time of his birthday (like you do with Dr. Seuss). When you do it, you could focus on a specific book, like The Tiny Seed and have the students plant their own seeds. This way you are doing art, reading, and science!  Also, you could use it as a way to talk about texture or just mixing colors and worrying about what you would use them for later. 

Van Gogh Project

Our third art project was to create a piece that was similar Van Gogh's Starry Night. In order to create this project, I used a piece of 12x18 construction paper as our background. Then, I ripped and cut small pieces of tissue paper and placed them onto the construction paper. To help hold the tissue paper in place, I used a small dot of glue. Next, I took gel medium and brushed it over the entire picture. (You have to make sure you keep your paintbrush wet with the gel medium the entire time or it will turn rock hard.) Now I had to let my picture dry for about 10-15 min. While I was letting it dry, I cut out a wavy piece of brown construction paper which will represent sand. After the gel medium had dried, I glued the piece of "sand" on. The last step of this project was to draw lines with a Sharpie on the picture just as Van Gogh did on his. I drew wave lines to represent the motion of water, some coral, as well as some swirl lines for fish and shells. You could use oil pastels as well to draw the lines. 

A way to extend this activity into other curriculum areas is to bring it into science. If all the students did their own version of Starry Night, you could tie it into astronomy by learning about the stars and constellations.  

Before reading the chapters, I did not think it was very realistic to bring art history into the classroom. This thought may have come from the fact that I never had an art class or was exposed to art history until I came to college. After reading, I realized that it is very simple to take small pieces of art history and bring them into the classroom in a way students can understand and relate to. One activity I could use in my classroom is to have students draw on paper on the bottom side of a table/desk. I would teach the children about Michael Angelo, and how he had to lay in order to paint the Sistine Chapel. This activity would not only help them experience what Angelo experienced  but it also helps them develop better grip on a pencil. By having students lay on their back. It puts their wrist in a better position to hold the pencil properly. 

My second Art Methods project was to create a presentation to help others better understand the elements and principles of design. I chose my top five photographs to share on this blog!

This is a photo of my brother's basketball net covered in frost. I      thought it was a great way to show texture. This is my favorite photo! I don't think I am a great photographer but I surprised myself with this one! 

The photograph represents an organic shape. It is an olive oil container.  

I found this great item on my grandparent's house! I thought it really represented balance due to its symmetrical manner. 

 This is a piece of fabric from a wash-bucket seat I made. The fabric represents the element of unity. 

These items represent color and value. Because they are both blue, but different shades they show the element of value. One is a water bottle and the other is a Tupperware lid. 

Footprint Project

Hello! This is my footprint project. It was used to get to know the students in my class better. What you do is have each student trace their foot on a piece of paper and cut it out. (If your students have small feet, you can suggest they use both feet.) Have the students place items on their foot to describe themselves. It can be anything from their interests, to where they live, to what they are doing now in their live. Have the students use various types of mediums (such as crayons, markers, paint, fabric, etc.) Let their imaginations go wild! On my footprint I used paint for the toe nails, fabric for the flip flop straps to show how much I love summer. I drew a farm out of crayons to show where I grew up. My family is on there in colored pencil because they mean the most to me. There is a color pallet showing my favorite colors. And a light bulb to represent the light that goes off in a child's head when they learn. 

This is a great activity to learn more about your students. You could also use it in social studies class and have the students create pictures that tell about their culture. This would be a fun way to learn about the different cultures and values in your classroom. Then you could compare them as you learn about other cultures. Also, it could be used in science when talking about footprints and animal tracks and how everyone leaves a different mark.