Polka Dot Pumpkins

Kindergarten students practiced their cutting, gluing and painting skills while learning about Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, who is known for covering everything she paints, with dots. Students learned how to draw through observation. They looked at a real pumpkin and drew what they saw. Then they painted their pumpkin with dots, practicing good craftsmanship. 

Seascapes

First Grade students looked at artwork by Winslow Homer. Like many artists, he painted what was around him. He lived near the ocean so he painted many seascapes. Students drew and painted their own seascape that includes a horizon line and a sailboat.

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 traced chameleons, cut them out 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 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.

Collaborative Neighborhood

Second grade students compared characteristics of rural, suburban and urban landscapes. They discovered that Kalamazoo has all three of these areas. Urban areas have museums, tall buildings, and not many houses. Students decided that the area around Bronson Park and the Kalamazoo Mall could be considered urban. They discovered that suburban areas have many houses, parks and schools. They decided the area around El Sol could be considered suburban. They learned that rural areas have a lot of farms and barns. They discovered that Kalamazoo even has areas like this! If you get on the highway and drive for only 10 minutes, you will see farmland and barns.

Los estudiantes de segundo grado compararon características de paisajes rurales, urbanos, y suburbanos. Descubrieron que Kalamazoo tiene áreas de los tres tipos. Las áreas urbanas tienen museos, edificios altos, y no muchas casas. Los estudiantes decidieron que el área alrededor de Bronson Park y el Kalamazoo Mall se puede considerar urbana. Ellos descubrieron que las áreas suburbanas tienen muchas casas, parques y escuelas. Decidieron que el área alrededor de El Sol se puede considerar suburbana. Aprendieron que las áreas rurales tienen muchas granjas y graneros. ¡Descubrieron que Kalamazoo también tiene áreas así! ¡Si viaja por la autopista por solo 10 minutos, verá cultivos y graneros!

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.

 

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. They arranged them on their painted background in a way that shows foreground, middle ground and background. Objects in the foreground appear larger and more detailed. Objects in the background appear smaller and less detailed.

 

 

Rhythm Study

4th Grade students discussed the meaning of rhythm in artwork and compared it to rhythm in music. Students learned that rhythm can be shown in artwork when the artist repeats lines, colors or shapes. Students used strips of paper, cut into patterns and arranged their composition (artwork) in a way that they thought showed the rhythm of a particular song.