May project: Puppets

Project title:  Puppets

Description:

• K-1 students practiced fine motor skills (scissor cutting), problem solving and thinking during the construction of their paper bag puppets.  Students chose an animal and cut pieces of art tape for different parts of their puppet then glued.  Students were excited about their creations and are looking forward to playing with them at home!

Vocabulary:

• Licky sticky tape
• Overlapping

Resources:

• Internet: puppet ideas

Materials:

• Paper bags
• Licky sticky art tape
• Sponges
• Pom poms
• Googly eyes

Examples of Student Work:

April Project: Georgia O'Keefe Flowers

Project title:  Georgia O'Keefe Flowers

Description:

• Georgia O'Keefe made her flowers BIG so that people would notice them.  Grade 1 and Kindergarten artists close their favorite Georgia O'Keefe flower or the still life arrangement on the tables.  They drew their flower large then added water color markers within their contour outline.  Thinner markers were added on top before spraying with water.

Vocabulary:

• Still life
• Georgia O'Keefe
• Abstract art
• Diffusion paper

Resources:

• Book: Georgia in Hawaii, by Amy Novesky 
• Book: My Name is Georgia, by Jeanette Winter

Materials:

• Diffusion paper
• Water
• Soluble markers
• Sprayer

Examples of Student Work:

March Project: DINOSAURS

Project Title:  DINOSAURS

Description:

• Kindergarten and Grade 1 artists are experts on dinosaurs!  Students used crayons to draw the contour outline of their favorite dino.  Watercolor paint added a “resist” affect to the picture.  Salt was added for texture.

Vocabulary:

• Crayon
• Resist
• Absorb
• Contour line

Resources:

• Book: Dancing Dinos Go To School, by Sally Lucas

Materials:

• Crayons
• Salt
• Watercolor paint

Examples of Student Work:

February Project: PATTERNS

Project Title:  PATTERNS

Description:

• A review of the definition of the word "pattern".  Patterns have to repeat!  K-1 students laid out a variety of patterns A-B-A-B or A-A-B-C, etc. using foam shapes or wooden shapes.  Kindergarteners glued patterns to boards.  Grade one students glued wooden shapes to cardboard then printed on black paper using white printer's ink.  Colored markers were used to reinforce student patterns.

Vocabulary:

• Pattern
• Geometric
• Shapes
• Reversal (printing)

Resources:

• Book: Pattern Bugs, by Trudy Harris
• Book: I See Patterns Here, by Bruce Goldstone

Materials:

• Cardboard
• Foam Shapes
• Wooden Shapes
• Glue
• Pattern sheets

Examples of Student Work:

January Project: el Greco Landscapes

Project Title:  el Greco Landscapes

View of Toledo, by el Greco

Description:

• View of Toledo by el Greco inspired the introduction to landscape paintings.  Students immediately were drawn to the dramatic stormy sky.  They speculated the story behind this painting.  Wet-on-wet technique was practiced in our skies.  Collage technique reinforced the illusion of depth using diminishing size.

Vocabulary:

• Foreground
• Middle ground
• Background
• Horizon line
• Lanscape
• el Greco

Resources:

• Book: The Knight and The Dragon, by Tomie De Paola

Materials:

• Watercolor paint
• Colored pencil
• Assorted collage paper
• Paint markers

Examples of Student Work:

December Project: Clay Magnets (K) & Clay Pinch Pots (1)

Project Title: CLAY MAGNETS & PINCH POTS

Description:

• Introduction to the origin of clay.  Characteristics of clay were discussed and experienced.  Construction process involved fine motor skills with either cookie cutting and rolling scraps into a ball or pinching and turning our pots.  Subtractions involved the removal of clay as our designs were developed.  A clay record was made to document our work.

Vocabulary:

• Greenware
• Bisqueware
• Kiln
• Evaporation
• Pinch pot construction
• Subtraction (in clay)
• Clay record
• Glaze

Resources:

• When Clay Sings, by Byrd Baylor

Materials:

• Clay
• Vinegar water
• Pencils
• Watercolors/varnish (K)
• Glaze (1)

Examples of Student Work:

November Project: Friendship Fence

Will I Have A Friend?
 by Miriam Cohen

Project Title:  FRIENDSHIP FENCE

Description:

• Kindergarten students worked on a unit based on communities. 
• Communities were defined as a group of people who work, live, problem solve and play together.
• Each student created a portrait of themselves on a fence post.
• Our focus was on placement of facial features and how to draw each.

Vocabulary:

• Self portrait
• Facial features
• Community

Resources:

• Book: Will I Have a Friend? by Miriam Cohen

Materials:

• Paint markers
• Construction paper
• Ribbon
• Buttons

Examples of Student Work: