Birch Trees

Students in 3rd grade created birch trees using a non-traditional technique. They used cardboard dipped in paint to create these birch trees. Then they used either warm or cool colors to paint a background.

 

 


Los estudiantes de 3er grado crearon abedules usando una técnica no-tradicional. Usaron cartón mojado en pintura para crear estos árboles. Luego usaron colores calidos o fríos para pintar un fondo para sus árboles.

Mummies

5th grade students studied mummies and created their own mummy sarcophagus. They learned that the Ancient Egyptian mummified their dead in preparation for the afterlife. They learned that the Egyptians would put money, food, favorite items and even pets in the coffin (or sarcophagus) to have in the next life. The name of the mummy was written in hieroglyphics on the sarcophagus. This is called the cartouche. Students also created a cartouche on their sarcophagus. Students also learned that the person's face was often painted on to the sarcophagus so the person's spirit would recognize it and could get the items saved in the sarcophagus. Students  learned that many symbols were used to bring protection to the mummy (like the Wedjet eye) and to depict important events in the mummy's life. Students created their own mummy sarcophagus out of clay and painted it with tempera paints.

Rural Landscapes

 

2nd grade students learned to differentiate between rural, suburban and urban landscapes. They drew and painted rural landscapes with characteristics often found in rural landscapes, such as farms, barns, and crops. They looked at artwork by Grant Wood. They learned that Grant Wood liked to paint scenes of farmland because he was born in a rural area of Iowa.

Negative Space Letters

First Grade students learned that negative space is the space around the main object of an artwork. Most of the time, artists spend a lot of time drawing or painting the postive space of an artwork, and much less time on the negative, or background space. Students practiced painting negative space by taping the initial of their first or last name and then painting all of the negative space with analogous colors. When the paint was dry, they peeled the tape off and discovered that the letter(positive space) was still the focal point of the artwork without even painting it at all!

Mondrian Masterpieces

 

Kindergarten students discovered the work of Piet Mondrian. They learned that he first painted landscapes, but then decided to break down landscapes into their simplest form: black lines and primary colors. It was almost like he was painting the “ingredients” for his landscapes. Students learned to identify the primary colors and made artwork inspired by Mondrian.

Los estudiantes de kinder descubrieron las obras de Piet Mondrian. Ellos aprendieron que al principio el pinto paisajes, pero luego decidió desarmar los paisajes en sus formas más simples: líneas negras y colores primarios. Fue como si estuviera pintando los “ingredientes” de sus paisajes. Los estudiantes aprendieron a identificar los colores primarios y crearon obras de arte inspiradas por Mondrian.



Inspired by Reggie Laurent

 4th Grade looked at artwork by Reggie Laurent and read an interview with him. (Featured on the blog Art is Fun. )They learned that Reggie Laurent paints abstract art that is unified with "white thread" as Reggie Laurent calls it. They learned the difference between geometric and organic shapes. Then they created their own artwork inspired by Reggie Laurent's colorful abstract art. They even created unity in their artwork using a "white thread" just like Laurent.

Picasso Portraits

Third grade students looked at artwork by Pablo Picasso and read a book about his life. They learned that Picasso could paint realistically, but chose not to. They learned that Picasso was the inventor of cubism, and painted many of his artworks with shapes such as squares and rectangles. Students learned that many people didn’t like his artwork at first, but now it is some of the most famous artwork in the world. Students drew a cubist portrait and painted it with tempera paints.

Los estudiantes de tercer grado miraron obras de arte por Pablo Picasso y leyeron un libro sobre su vida. Ellos aprendieron que Picasso sabía pintar realísticamente, pero escogió no hacerlo. Ellos aprendieron que Picasso fue el inventor del cubismo, y pinto muchas de sus obras con figuras como cuadrados y rectángulos. Los estudiantes aprendieron que a muchas personas no les gustaron sus obras al principio, pero ahora son de las obras de arte más famosas del mundo. Los estudiantes dibujaron un retrato cubista y lo pintaron con tempera.

Textured Chameleons

Kindergarten students learned that we use the word texture when we’re describing how something feels. Students created texture rubbings with texture plates. Students saw a video clip of a chameleon changing color, and read A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni. Then they created chameleons by following the directions in a directed line drawing. Finally, they cut out their chameleons and glued them to the habitat they painted for their chameleon.

Los estudiantes de kinder aprendieron que usamos la palabra textura cuando describimos como se siente la superficie de algún objeto. Los estudiantes crearon calcos de texturas usando láminas texturizadas. Los estudiantes vieron un video-clip de un camaleón cambiando de color, y leyeron “A Color of His Own” (Su Propio Color) por Leo Lionni. Luego ellos crearon camaleones siguiendo las instrucciones para un dibujo dirigido. Finalmente, ellos recortaron sus camaleones y los pegaron sobre un hábitat que pintaron para su camaleón.

Pumpkins

First Grade students learned how to show distance in their artwork by drawing objects in the foreground, middle ground and background. Students learned that objects in the foreground are large with the most detail and usually located at the bottom of the artwork. Objects in the middle ground get smaller, with less detail. Objects in the background are very small with very little detail. Students drew a pumpkins in the foreground, middle ground and background to demonstrate their knowledge of showing distance in artwork. They painted their pictures with liquid watercolors.

Creative Transformations

             5^th grade students learned that graphic designers and graphic artists are artists who make people see everyday items in a new way. They looked at Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s soup cans and discussed how changing the colors on the soup can labels could make people really notice the soup and want to buy it. Students also discovered that there are artists who create new fonts to use on the computer. They chose one letter of the alphabet and transformed that letter to look new and interesting. They used common “systems” that graphic artists use to help them come up with new ways to look at their chosen letter of the alphabet.

 

           Los estudiantes de quinto grado aprendieron que los diseñadores gráficos y artistas gráficos son artistas que hacen que las personas vean objetos cotidianos de una nueva manera. Ellos miraron las latas de sopa Cambell’s de Andy Warhol y hablaron sobre como cambiar el color de las etiquetas sobre las latas podría hacer que las personas realmente se fijaran en esta sopa y la quisieran comprar. Los estudiantes también descubrieron que hay artistas que crean nuevas tipografías para usar en la computadora. Ellos escogieron una letra del alfabeto y la transformaron para que luciera nueva e interesante. Usaron “sistemas” comunes que usan los artistas gráficos para ayudarlos a pensar en nuevas maneras de mirar la letra que escogieron.

Diego Rivera Study

4th grade students looked at artwork by Diego Rivera and discussed themes in his artwork. They learned that artists often create art as a way to show connections between people. They concluded that Diego Rivera showed these connections through the themes in his artwork (love, family, oppression, working people and traditions). Students focused on the artwork "mother's helper" by Diego Rivera. They discussed that Rivera was showing love between the girl and the mother, without drawing hearts on his artwork. They discussed ways they help someone they love and used the way his composition was set up in "mother's helper" in their own artwork.

 

Textured Sunflowers

Kindergarten students discussed the meaning of texture and how to show texture in our artwork. They looked at the texture in Vincent Van Gogh’s sunflowers and created their own textured sunflowers.

Warm Suns, Cool Moons

1st grade students learned that artists often make artwork about things that are important in our world. They learned that people around the world tell stories and create artwork about the sun because the sun is essential for us to live.  The sun gives us light, warmth and helps plants grow. Students discussed how the sun is usually represented with warm colors. Students also discussed the moon, and how it is thought of as the moon’s opposite. They discussed how the moon is usually represented with cool colors. Students chose to create either a sun or moon and colored it with the appropriate warm or cool colors.

Los estudiantes de primer grado aprendieron que los artistas hacen obras de arte sobre cosas que son importantes en nuestro mundo. Ellos aprendieron que las personas al rededor del mundo cuentan cuentos y crean obras de arte sobre el sol por que el sol es necesario para que nosotros podamos vivir. El sol nos da luz, calor, y ayuda a las plantas a crecer. Los estudiantes comentaron que el sol normalmente se representa con colores calidos. Los estudiantes también discutieron la luna, y como se considera lo opuesto al sol. Ellos discutieron como la luna normalmente se representa con colores fríos. Los estudiantes escogieron crear un sol o una luna y los pintaron con colores apropiados, calidos o fríos.

Andy Goldsworthy Study

3rd Grade students discussed how artists and scientists are similar. They concluded that both artists and scientists look closely at the world around them. Students were introduced to Andy Goldsworthy, a British artist who uses natural materials to create sculptures and land art. They watched a video clip of Goldsworthy's work as well as looked at other artwork he's created in his book, "Andy Goldsworthy : A collaboration with nature."

Students learned that artists sometimes create art as a way to capture nature, and as a way to connect with nature. Taking inspiration from Goldsworthy, students used natural materials to create their own artwork on the playground.