Matisse Name Plates

my very stapley example

I can't remember the website I saw this on but I believe it was www.deepspacesparkle.com

I showed the students artwork from Henri Matisse, particularly the cut paper ones, or the ones that appeared to be cut paper. We discussed and analyzed these works.

Next I gave the students a 6 x 15" sheet of white paper and various color scraps I've had left over. The students were to cut and paste their name and a border. The catch was that they could not draw the letters, we were 'drawing' with the scissor. I explained that the letters will have a unique and artistic style when we make them free form.  Plus drawing them would take too long and they come out small. I showed them some tricks, like using the negative scraps left over from a letter to make the same letter, and cutting 'into' the letter to cut out the inside instead of folding it. We used glue sticks to stick the letters and shapes down and then added designs and borders.

Some of the students figured out they could etch into the paper with the scissor to 'draw' on it. I reminded them that I rarely draw letters before I cut them out, and I think that gave them some confidence. They had fun and got into it regardless. I'll be doing this lesson again next year.

3-D Lizards

These paper lizards can be completed in one or two lessons and they teach children about shades and tints, as well as paper sculpture strategies. I got this lesson off of someone's website and I can't remember what his website is called!

To start put several different shades and tints of green construction paper on each table, enough for each child to select one. Even if they don't get the color they prefer, they are all going to wind up sharing the paper anyway. 

Next the children fold the paper in half length-wise. They draw the profile of a lizard with marker, trying to fill up the whole paper. I rarely set out pencils for the children to use. They make things too small and they erase practically everything. We've had a much easier time with the Sharpies. The profile of the lizard is shown below. I don't give them a stencil to use, I like how they come out when the children draw their own. The two lines in the middle are a tab to help the finished lizard stand up.

Next the children cut out the lizard. They will have two tails when they open it up. Have them cut off one tail if they choose.  Many of my students wanted to keep both tails. 

Next its time to fold the tab and glue it in place. Depending on how thick they made the body they may need to trim the tab a little bit. 

They then put the scraps back in the middle so other children can use them. Using a scrap that is different than their original color, they cut and paste decorations.

My students' lizards are currently hanging up on the wall so I don't have any photos. They look cute when arranged in different directions on a bulletin board or a cork strip, they look like they are crawling all over the wall!

Here are some samples I made. I'll update them soon. 

Beautiful Pandas

This is a lesson based on some pandas I saw on Artsonia.

We start by watching a Youtube video that just shows some pandas playing in a playpen. Very cute. The children love watching them. I ask them to pay special attention to which part of the panda is black and which part is white. After the video we discuss the panda's coloring.

Next we do a very simple drawing of a panda. The one distinction we make is to draw the fur around the eyes like tilted ovals.

Now its time to sponge paint. We use small round sponges and liquid tempera paint. It's best if the sponges are damp. The children start with the white parts of the panda and then move on to the black. The following week we glue on some plastic eyes and draw some bamboo in the background.

The fun part about this lesson is viewing the live cameras at the Washington Zoo while waiting for the paint to dry.. You can find a link on their website. The kids love watching the pandas walk around, and I do as well!

First grade work:

Torn Paper Owls

A variation on lots of torn paper owls I've seen online, mostly inspired by Mrs. Brown's Art.

We draw a simple picture of an owl using sharpie. If the children draw their's small they may draw another owl friend.

We paste on various strips of paper torn into squares. I stick to brown tones. We use watery glue applied with paintbrushes to make the process go fast.

Next we cut out eyes and a moon from white paper and glue to our pictures. We add a beak and feet made from orange paper. A brown crayon fills in the branch the owl is perched upon.

Clay birds

My fifth graders at Royal Oaks did this project.
We divided a slab of clay into two sections, one for the next and the other for the bird, eggs, and flowers. The children created the nest by using a pinch pot method. The birds were created by pinching, the eggs by rolling, and the flowers by rolling clay into a worm, flattening it, and coiling it up. Instead of trying to attach it up we put them in individually labelled plastic bags and waited for next week.

The clay kept nicely and we were able to scratch attach the pieces without too much of a problem. I wasn't at school for one of the 'attaching' days but thankfully my sub is a pro at clay and the projects came out just fine.

Next time to fire at cone 06, glaze, and fire again! Some of the birds fell off but we just glue them back on.

Finished Birds

Giraffes

Two day drawing and painting lesson I got from www.Deep Space Sparkle.com.

I demonstrate drawing the giraffe. It helps to give the children handouts of giraffes to follow along. Make sure the paper they are using is too thick to trace, but determined children are resourceful and you will catch them trying to hold the paper up to the light and trace.

Anyway, we start with the eye and go from there. I assure children that if their giraffe's ears don't fit on the paper it looks just fine. We color or paint with yellows, oranges, and browns, and the children decided on a background!

Symmetry Bugs

Pretty simple project involving monoprint.
Children paint a blob in the middle of a wax paper with colored ink. They fold it in half and roll with a brayer to mix the colors. They open it up and have a stamp to print on their 'good' paper. They role it with their brayer to stamp and peal off the wax paper.
After drying, the children draw on bug features like wings, eyes, and legs.

First Grade work: