2nd Grade- Clay Turtle Containers

This was a two day project. 

Day 1- we started by making a pinch pot for the bottom. Then I told the students to make 4 little coils, the size of tootsie rolls for the legs. We attached the legs by scoring and slipping. Next we made a sphere for the head and a cone for the tail. These were also attached. Then I had students create another pinch pot for the shell. Lastly, students decorated the shell and fac using clay tools.

Day 2- we painted using watercolors. 

Kindergarten- Pinch Pots

This was a two day lesson

Day1-we read the book, The Pot that Juan Built. Then we discussed how clay comes from the ground and it has to be fired in a kiln to become hard like glass. Each student then received a ball of clay to make their pinch pot. It is not visible in the picture but I gave students wooden sticks and Popsicle sticks to decorate their pot.

Day 2- we glazed and students made a card if they had time. 

Adaptive Art-Turkey

We started by reading 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving.

We then created the turkey. I already had feather shales cut out. Students used paint and texture rollers to create patterns on the feathers. Then we glued down the body and feathers to create the turkey. Students drew a circle in the middle of the body for the head. Lastly we glued on the eyes, beak, and waddle. 

Adaptive Art-Mayflower

We started by reading the book, How Many Days to America

Next we did a brown handprint in the middle of our paper. Next we painted on clouds and the ocean. Lastly, we glued sails onto our fingers. 

Adaptive Art-Hedgehog

We started this lesson by reading The Hat.

Students then colored and cut out the hedgehog body and glued it to green paper. Lastly, we glued leaves to the body for the spikes. 

Adaptive Art-Spider

We read the book The Very Busy Spider.

We then created a spider our of a construction paper circle, pipe cleaners, googley eyes,and dot stickers. 

Adaptive Art-Owl

We read the book The Busy Tree

Students thn create owls out of paper plates and markers.

5th Grade-Catalina Tiles

To begin this lesson we talked about the culture of The Catalina Island off the coast of California. We discussed how there are tiles all over the island. Every tile is symmetrical and creates a radial design.

Students created one fourth of the tile. We drew this design on half of a 4x4" piece of white paper folded diagonally. Students then went to the window and traced the design onto the other half of the paper. 

Next we transferred our design one a piece if foam by placing the paper on top if the foam and pressed down to create an impression in the foam. 

The following class, students took turns printing their foam block onto a 9 x 9" white paper into a radial design. We made sure that we printed tha same corner if the foam in the middle of the paper all 4 times we printed it. 

5th Grade Sugar Skulls

To begin this project we discussed the Day of the Dead. We discussed how sugar skulls are used during this holiday. 

Students created their own sugar skulls on black paper using construction paper crayons and silver sharpies. I had a template of the skull for the students to trace. 

4th Grade-Self portraits.

Day one-we drew in our sketchbooks and practice drawing realistic facial features. During this time we also talked that realistic facial proportions. We did this step-by-step together using the overhead projector, students also mirrors at their desk to make sure that the facial proportions I was telling about were correct.

Day two-students received a 6 x 9" piece of white paper. On this paper they drew their face at a realistic scale. They used pencil first and went then went over their lines with sharpie.

Day three-students color their portrait using markers or colored pencils. They glued their self-portrait in the middle of a black 12 x 9" piece of paper. On the black paper they use construction paper crayons to draw or write about hobbies and things they enjoy don't in their free time. 

3rd grade-Clay Frog Wall Pockets.

We started this lesson my talking about relief sculpture, relief sculpture is a 3-D object but the back is flat.

We rolled out a big slab of clay. Using this slab of clay we cut out one square, one big arch, and one little arch, I had templates of all of these for the students to trace. 

We then folded the big arch over our hand to bend it into a pocket and attached it to the middle of the square slab by scoring a slipping. This is the body of the frog. Next, we cut the small arch in half to create the legs and used a wooden stick tool to add the toes. We added the legs to each side of the body by scoring and slipping. Last students added details such as toynges, eyes, and flies.

The following clay, we painted the frogs using tempra paint. 

1st grade-positive and negative space pumpkins

We started this projects by The Biggest Pumpkin Ever. This book was perfect because one mouse takes care of the pumpkin during the day in the other mouse takes care of the pumpkin during the night. Pour project has one white side and one black side, kind of like day and night.

Each student received a 9 x 12" piece of white paper and a 9 x 6" piece of black paper. We drew half of a pumpkin on the black paper and made sure the middle part of the pumpkin was on the edge of the paper. We cut out the pumpkin, making sure we cut it all in one piece. We then glue the pieces of black paper together to create one whole pumpkin. Lastly we used construction paper Kranz to Abetos to her pumpkin such as a jack-o'-lantern face, a background, or mice. 

Kindergarten-2nd grade Skeletons

This is a simple filler project that the young students are very successful with, and we use silver Sharpies.... No pencils, so the students really need to think about what they are drawing. I do this project step by step with them starting with the torso, then add the head, arms, and legs. Students add their own details at the end.

I'm sure there is a good Skelton book to read along with this project. 

2nd Grade-Blow-paint turkeys

What do you do when you have a ton of straws? Create blow paint art.

We started this project by designing a background. Some students turkeys, we're outside, some inside, and some were even on the table tops. 

Next we used watered down acrylic paint and put drops of paint in our paper where our turkey was going and blew the paint with a straw. 

Lastly, we designed turkey bodies out of brown construction paper and glued them onto our turkey feathers. 

2nd Grade Mayflowers

I found a great tutorial on Art Projects for Kids website. We did a step by step drawing together to create the basic shape of the ship. Then students had the opportunity to color their project with markers and crayons. Some students transformed their Mayflowers into pirate ships.

http://www.artprojectsforkids.org/2011/11/mayflower-ship-tutorial.html

2nd Grade- Rural to Urban

As I often drive from Columbia to St. Louis on highway 70, I thought it would be a good idea to create an art project that shows rural, suburban, and urban landscapes. This project also shows foreground, middle ground, background, and perspective.

Day 1: after discussing rural, urban, and suburban we started creating our landscapes. We drew our picture with pencil then traced over it with Sharpies. When drawing, I reminded students that things in the background are smaller than things in the foreground. We also discussed what types of things you would see in different environments.

Day 2: we colored in the details with crayons and then painted the sky and roads with watercolor. 

1st Grade-Cornucopia Still Lifes

I thought a cornucopia would be the perfect example for a still life because still life's by famous artists usually include fruit and food.

We started class by discussing still lifes and coming up with examples of things that are in still lifes. Next, I had templates of a cornucopia shape for students to trace a cut out. Together, we drew the lines and curves on the Cornucopias. Then we glued tan paper to our white paper to create a table and then we glued the cornucopia in the middle of our paper. Lastly, students used construction paper to cut out different fruits and vegetables to put in their still life. Some students even had time to add a background.

1st Grade Clay Owls

After creating abstract owls through drawing, we created owls with clay. We starts by rolling a piece of clay into a ball. We then flattened it like a pancake. In the middle of the pancake, we used a side of a Popsicle stick to make feathers/arches on the belly. Next, we folded in the sides to creat wings and scrapped a fork over the wings to add ones. Then we folded down the top part to create the head. We made sure to pinch the top corners for the ears. The bottom of a Mr. Sketch marker worked perfect for the eyes. We used a wooden stick to add dots in the middle of the eyes. Lastly students added the beak and any other details they wanted using clay or wooden sticks.

We painted our owls the rolling class period with watercolors. 

Looking back, I wish the owls had holes in then to turn them into ornaments. 

1st grade Abstract Owls

This was a simple one day lesson for 1st grade. We read Good Night Owl and then created our own owl using crayons and watercolor paints. The main focus for this lesson is abstract art- you can tell what the object it but it is not realistic because the size, shape or color is altered.