Kente Cloth

1st grade students were introduced to weaving by weaving paper strips through a paper loom. Students looked at Kente Cloth from Africa to get inspiration for their weavings. They read the book "Kente Colors" by Debbi Chocolate and discovered that the artists in Africa use certain colors purposefully in their weavings because the colors have a special significance. Students also discussed the purpose of creating this kind of artwork. (To use as clothing, or a blanket, etc.)Students also spent a lot of time on creating the patterns on their paper strips, after looking at patterns that can be found on traditional Kente Cloth.

Wire sculptures

"Flips and Tricks"

The family walk

 Fourth Grade students used wire to create sculptures of people or animals showing movement.

Bear Fishing

People Dancing

William H. Johnson Study

2nd Grade students read "Li'l Sis and Uncle Willie" by Gwen Everett. Students learned a little bit about William H. Johnson's life and why his artwork is important. Students drew themselves with someone that is important to them, much the way Johnson did. Students drew their portraits as if the people in the painting were looking at a camera, the way Johnson did in many of his paintings. They painted their portraits with tempera paint and then outlined their shapes with black marker.

Thoughts about peace

 

Fourth grade students discussed what peace means to them. They read "Peace" by Wendy Anderson Halperin and "The Golden Rule" by Ilene Cooper. To prepare their artwork, they drew a dove on a piece of sticker paper and then put it on their paper. Then they painted their entire paper with watercolor, trying 8 different watercolor techniques. At the next class, they wrote what peace means to them, around the outline of their dove. They chose a font to use for their statement, " I can be peaceful." and added more peaceful elements with oil pastel.

 

Aboriginal Paintings

 

         4^th grade students learned about the artwork of the aboriginal people of Australia. This group of people is indigenous to Australia, just like Native Americans are indigenous to the United States.

        The students learned that the Aborigines are known for their dot paintings and x-ray paintings. As you can probably imagine, dot paintings are made with only dots, and x-ray paintings show the inside of the subject they painted. Students chose an animal that lives in Australia to paint in the dot and x-ray painting styles of the Aborigines. They signed their artwork with their handprint, something the Aborigines do as well.

 

             Los estudiantes de 4º grado aprendieron sobre el arte del pueblo aborigen de Australia. Este grupo de personas son indígenas de Australia, igual que los nativos americanos son los indígenas de los Estados Unidos.

             Los estudiantes aprendieron que los aborígenes son conocidos por sus obras de puntitos y pinturas estilo rayos x. Como se podrán imaginar, las obras de puntitos son pinturas hechas solo de puntos y las pinturas estilo rayos x muestran lo de adentro del sujeto de la pintura.  Los estudiantes escogieron un animal que viva en Australia para pintar en los estilos de puntitos y rayos x de los aborígenes. Ellos firmaron sus obras de arte con la impresión de sus manos, algo que también hacen los aborígenes.

Jackson Pollack Inspired Bowls

 

Fifth graders read "Action Jackson" by Jan Greenburg and Sandra Jordan. They also watched youtube clip of Jackson Pollack painting. They painted the bowls they made out of paper mache in the same style as Jackson Pollack; a style known as abstract expressionism. We discussed how some people love Pollack's work and some hate it, and students gave reasons why they did or did not like his work.