1st Grade James Rizzi Fun Architecture

1st grade artists are studying the fun art of James Rizzi!

Click HERE to see our James Rizzi Architecture Slide Show!

We created our own playful fantasy architecture and practiced rainbow order in our crayon resist.

2nd Grade Henna Hands from India

2nd grade artists are studying Indian art of Henna! We learned a bit about India and watched this youtube video CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO

We also discussed this below slide show:

Click HERE to see the slide show we used for this lesson.

This lesson was adapted from one found on Pinterest.

5th Grade Genius Hour Project!

5th grade artists are excited for some freedom to create art based on their own interests! We created this slide show to get the creative juices flowing and they are busy creating!

Click HERE to see our Genius Hour Intro Slide Show

Click HERE to see our Genius Hour Instruction and Idea Page

Second grade travel collage

2nd grade artists have been thinking about how art comes from every part of the world and looks different from different cultures and countries. We compared and contrasted art from all over by looking at a slide show, books about art and culture, and looking at various artworks. We read Dr. Seuss' book, "Oh the Places You'll Go!" and thought about where we would like to go if we could travel to see any art in the world. 

Check out our slide show by clicking HERE

We created these collages of us traveling to those places! We thought about how artists use lines to show movement and where the plane could have traveled. 

4th Grade Koi Fish

4th grade artists are learning about the art and lives of people in Asia, particularly Japan with this project. Through our slide show, we looked at the historical significance of the Koi fish as well as how it has become a popular hobby fish for its beauty! We created our own fish with either a side view or from the top and used watercolor markers, water and salt to create the frothy water backgrounds. We thought about the art elements of (blending) color, space (overlapping) and pattern.

Click here to see our slide show.

Learning Goals:

I can identify Asian Art

I can discuss why the Koi were important to the ancient people of Japan

I can use blending, pattern and space in my art

I can use markers to create a painted effect

*This project inspired by one found on Pinterest

Kindergarten Matryoshka Dolls

Kindergarten artists are studying Russia and the Matryoshka dolls as part of their Asian art unit. We watched this fun youtube clip of these Russian toys and saw how they nestle inside each other. We discussed this slide show about these dolls and also played with them while noticing their patterns! We then drew our own Matryoshkas with patterns and designed a patterned frame for them.

Check out our Slide Show about Matryoshkas here

Learning Goals:

I can recognize the art of Matryoshka dolls

I can create pattern in my work

I can describe some facts about these toys

I can draw my own Matryoshka

*This project inspired by one found on Pinterest

Fourth grade form pandas

Fourth grade artists are studying the art of Asia in our schoolwide Asian art unit. We looked at how pandas are the national animal of China. We enjoyed sketching these adorable pandas before talking about the differences between shape and form. We then were able to create these 3-D pandas. We read the book, "Zen shorts" and gave our pandas a little umbrella just like the panda in the book!

Click here to see our slide show!

Fifth Grade Chihuly Collaborative Sculpture

5th grade artists are working on a collaborative project like Dale Chihuly!  We learned about his life, his installations and some of the work that he has displayed at our local Frederick Meijer Gardens! We watched a slide show about him and then began coloring water bottles with permanent markers in either warm or cold colors. 

Click Here for our Chihuly PowerPoint

On Day 2 of this project, we did a partner read out of the Scholastic Art Magazine about Dale Chihuly and chose our 2 favorite new facts to write down on a slip of paper for a prize drawing.

Learning Goals:
I can work collaboratively.
I can retell facts about Dale Chihuly's life and art.
I can explain the difference between form and shape.
I can distinguish between warm and cool colors.

3rd Grade Jim Dine Heart Plaques

3rd grade artists learned about the life and art of Jim Dine. They looked at the themes of his work and thought about why he chose them. 

We also had a lot of discussion around a slide presentation all about Jim Dine. After this, we created sketches of our own style heart art using shape (2D) in preparation for our 3D (form) clay collage sculpture! We talked about how to ensure that our heart stood out from the background using color schemes and added patterns to sculpture for added interest.

Download Jim Dine Slideshow - Click Here!

We glued popsicle sticks and jewels together for our base and used twiteez wire and beads to create a hanger! We had a blast!

3rd Grade Heather Galler Folk Art Snowmen

3rd Grade artists are learning about the contemporary artist Heather Galler who is a folk artist (meaning that she is self-taught!). She loved using lots of patterns and chose topics to paint that were important in her life.

Since we are in the thick of winter and many of us are enjoying making snowmen outside. So, we created this adorable snowmen with watercolor paint, sticks, twine, glitter, and even pine cones!

Learning Goals:
Students will learn about the life and art of Heather Galler
Students will be able to retell what a folk artist is
Students will practice with tying a knot
Students will use various patterns in their snowmen
Students will design a unique snowman with it's own personality

Download Heather Galler Slide Show: Click Here!