Primary Color Mixing

We did this lesson with tempera cakes because the liquid watercolor was running! I saw this on a youtube video (I forgot to write down the link but I'll post it soon) and simplified it for the kids. They used two primary colors to decorate precut circles. Next we poked holes in the center with pencils and students were able to spin them to 'mix' the colors. On my display I used push pins so people could spin the student work! Great color theory lesson! 

first grade stitchery

Lots of learning in this project! It took about 3-4 weeks. The first week we learned how to use the ruler to draw a straight line. I used a video from youtube. The students found that it was trickier than they thought it would be. Next we drew some art supplies in the picture and made a boarder using our rulers. The following session students colored in their pictures with crayon and were instructed to press hard and soft in different areas with their crayons. I am planning on linking this into a lesson on value later and this will give them some practice. Students used hole punchers and ribbon, yarn, string, and beads to stitch! I think they're lovely : )

1st grade Egyptian Art

 Students looked at artwork from the Ancient Egyptians. We noticed how the figures were always facing front and in profile at the same time. Students also learned about Hieroglyphics, and how the Ancient Egyptians used pictures instead of letters. We drew these pieces and added gold paint to make them pretty. Then students tore the edges of their papers to make them look like old artifacts. First grade work:

Kindergarten/1st grade marbling

We used these for our holiday cards. I bought large roasting bins. Kids put their paper on the bottom of the bit and then dipped marbles into tempera paint and set them on top of the paper. Then they picked up the bin and tilted it until the marbles rolled, leaving a paint trail. The following week I gave them stamps and crayons to finish their cards. I was able to work in a writing component by having the children fill out their cards! Warning- SUPER MESSY!!!

1st grade weaving

First Graders just finished a unit on color and organic shapes, so I combined the two with this cloud weaving, clouds being organic shapes. Students cut out the cloud by folding a 12x18" paper in half and using bumpy lines. I cut the slits into their clouds and students carefully wove the rainbow in, and secured it with glue! I had the students add some shaving cream mixed with glue to create the cloud texture.

first grade rockets

We studied the planets and chose different size circle tracers to make each planet. The students used pictures of the real planets as a reference and colored with oil pastel. The next week, we added the black paint background. The following class we looked at a youtube video of a rocket launch. We drew  our rockets onto small white pieces of paper, colored with crayon, cut and pasted them to our art. Finally, we dipped sticks into white paint to create stars! (my example was from a few years ago, we did the same basic steps but painted metallic paint over the plants to make them shiny. I just don't have any more metallic paint this year so we skipped it)

First grade work:

First grade water lilies

Students learned about Claude Monet and his famous water lilly series. We did a wash of colorful watercolor in the background and then cut out lily pads. Students drew some cool stuff on their lily pads, frogs, flies, flowers, etc. Someone drew some ghosts because the lily pads looked like Pac Man! The following week we double dipped brushes in white and red tempera paint to create the lilies, and blue and white to create waves in the water!

First grade art:

(I was informed that these smushed up papers are frogs. So cute!)

First Grade Flower Feathers

1st grade snake puppets

First graders looked at the patterns on photos of different species of snakes.  We then drew our spiral and used broken lines, zig zags, wavy lines, curly lines, thick and thin lines to add line pattern. Students painted their snakes with watercolor.

The following week, students cut out their spirals and glued on popsicle sticks to hold their puppets. They colored the stick near the mouth red to look like a long tongue.

First grade work:

First grade mountain lions

First graders drew these cute mountain lions. The following lesson we drew a jungle and cut the leaves so our animals can hide behind them!

First grade art:

Symmetrical Aliens

The students loved making and coloring their aliens! We just folded a green paper in half and drew half an alien and when we cut and opened our paper, it made a whole alien : )

First grade work:

1st grade farm

This is directed line drawing. The students agreed on the animals they wanted in their farm and we drew each one together. Then the students colored them in with crayons!

First grade farms: