3rd Grade: Gustav Klimt "Tree of Life" Citizen Trees

My school is a PYP/IB school and for 3rd grade the classroom teachers are focusing on "Who We Are" in terms of citizens and the roles we portray as citizens of Manor View Elementary. I got inspiration of this idea from an article in Arts and Activities. In the PYP program there different learner profiles, which I reviewed with students.


Day 1#- On the first day of this lesson I talk about what exactly a "citizen" is and what exactly makes a good citizen. I talked about some influential people who stood up for people's rights (Rosa Parks and King) and just how and why we consider them as " good citizens." I also introduced the kids to Gustav Klimt's famous artwork "The Tree of Life." I talked to the kids about how trees "symbolize growth" and how throughout the school year we grow. I had the kids brainstorm what IB Learner profiles and character traits that described themself as "good citizens" of Manor View. They filled out a circle map.

Day #2- On the second day of this lesson, we review what a good citizen is and then I have the kids sketch their own tree of life. They are to fill the tree of life with the different Learner Profiles and traits "words" from the circle map they did previously. We also go back to Gustav Klimt's "Tree of Life" and talk about the different organic shapes that can be seen in the work. I also encourage them to draw some leaves. Some kids wanted to add birds which was totally cool. When done sketching, they check with me and re-draw their sketch onto big 12 x18" piece of paper with a pencil

Day #3 On the third day of this lesson, the students go over their tree drawings with black sharpie. Then we start painting the trees with gold tempera paint (I mixed some gold glitter paint in as well for fun). I tell the kids to paint the tree gold but to think about painting in those organic shapes with different colors to make them stand out. I also gave them the option to draw some swirls in the background with oil pastels to create a "cool affect" when they paint over them.

Day #4- Student finished painting their trees in completely with tempera cakes (blue, green, pink, and purple

I liked the idea for this lesson but it took the students a little longer than what I had expected. The next time I do this I would instead give them a 9x 12 piece of paper rather than 12 x18".

2nd Grade: Paul Klee's "Cat and Bird"

I decided to start the year off with a bunch of my grades doing lessons I have previously taught. I haven't had much time to really plan because I got a new art room this year. Most of my time these past couple of weeks has been organizing all of my art supplies and setting up the room. Anyways, one of my favorite lessons for 2nd grade is this one.

Materials
Oil Pastels
Cat and Bird Book by Geraldine Elschner
12 x18" Butcher Paper


Day 1#- I start off by reading the book "Cat and Bird" which is inspired by Paul Klee's actual "Cat and Bird" painting. After reading the book we review the basic shapes in art. I show the kids the painting and together we identify what shapes we see in the face.

Day 1#I . then give my students a 12 x18" piece of butch paper. I start by having my kids use an orange oil pastel to draw a huge "U" shape for the face. We then connect the "U" shape by drawing two slanted lines for the ears. In the center I have them draw a big triangle for the nose. A diamond on either side for the eyes and a circle for the pupils. Below the triangle, I have my kids use a red oil pastel to draw a heart and two small lines for mouth. I then have my student's go back with a white oil pastel to color around the eyes, and they can color in the pupils any color they want. Many of them want to add the whiskers, but I tell them they need to color in the face with a yellow oil pastel. After that I tell my kids to use a yellow orange oil pastel so they can learn how to blend to oil pastels.

Day 2#

 We review the different shapes in Art, and then I talk to them about creating pattern with shape as a background for their cats. I encourage them to color with oil pastels that will help the cat's face stand out.

Welcome To The 2018 School Year

It's been a crazy start to the beginning of the school year for me. I got a new art room, but moving everything was quite tedious. Luckily my Mom (who just retired from teaching for almost 30 years) as been helping me settle in. I am still in the process of organizing all of my materials since I have so much storage space! I got new stools, art tables, and technology. I'm really excited to learn how to use the wireless microphone I was provided with as well. In August I read an article about how over-decorated classrooms can be bad for students since it can be overstimulating. I am trying to not put so many posters up to see if helps at with student learning. (Learning self-control, haha) I also have a kiln, I am still waiting on for the person to come and install it. I can't wait to try it out and use "real clay" with my students. It certainly will be an experience since I have never used one before, but I know I can do it. It wasn't until today that I really felt comfortable and remembered how much I love working with the kids. (2nd week of school). I will update more on my lessons next week. I can't wait to share with everyone.

New Art Room Jitters

So it's the end of July and the talk of welcoming back to school events is starting! I am very excited for my 8th year of teaching and I will be at the same school for the 5th year in a row. I really like the school, staff, and community which is why I have stayed for so long. This year I will be getting a new art room, and I cannot wait. I just don't know what it will look like and it's driving me nuts!!!!! How am I going to decorate it? Where will I put all of my art supplies. How will I organize it? The construction workers are still working on it, so I will not have access to my new art room until the day teachers return.  I have gotten lots of new things at from the Target Dollar Bins and picked up some other things during the summer to help decorate my new room. My mom also just retired from teaching so she has things to give me as well. I just don't how I'm going to fit everything into my car! haha....How are other people decorating their rooms?

Summer Update!

Sorry I haven't updated in forever. My school is getting renovated so towards the end of the year I has the task of packing up all of my art room since it should be ready by the time I report back in August. I taught art camp all last week, and went to a 2 day training sponsored by Dick Blick Art materials and the NAEA in Alexandria, VA. This is the first real week of my break where I don't have anything planned. I have started to collect some new items for my classroom, and Target has their back to school stuff already out. Therefore I have been visiting there frequently to see what they have! My Mom got me a cricut for my birthday so I've been busy playing around with that as well

3rd Grade Koinobori Fish

It is the middle of May, and I was trying to find something to do with my third graders. I read somewhere about how Children's day in Japan was soon approaching. These Koinobori", carp windsocks, carp streamers or carp banners, decorate the landscape of Japan from April through early May, in honor of Children's Day (originally Boys' festival) on May 5. In Japanese culture, the carp symbolizes courage and strength because of its ability to swim up a waterfall. The Boys' Festival was an event, expressing hope that each boy in the family will grow up healthy and strong like wild carps.

Materials Needed

Liquid Watercolors (assorted)
Oil Pastels
12x 18" paper
Tissue Paper strips
Paint Brushes
Tag Board Strips ( about 1 inch wide)
Staples
Yarn
Wooden Dowels



Day 1# I gave my students some background information on Koinobori, and had them trace the koi fish templates I made. I first gave them a piece of 12x18" watercolor paper which was folded in half. I reminded students to trace their fish against the fold line, so it would create two koi fish. (symmetry). I created handouts for my students to help them know what koi fish look like. Once students cut out their two koi fish, they laid it out and started to add the eyes, scales, and other features using oil pastels. I reminded students that they need to be symmetrical (same on both sides). When students were done I had them use liquid watercolors to add even more color to their koi fish

Day #2-  When my students came to class the next time, I had them glue a tag board strip across the two mouth of their fish. They turned over their fish and added some more decorations to their fish using tissue paper, metallic paper, and metallic markers. When finished they came up to me and I stapled the two sides together (at the mouth and fins). I then  out a piece of yarn (about a foot) through the two holes and tied the yarn onto the dowel rod. 

1st Grade Egyptian Cats

In the winter, I was able to take a trip down to Washington DC and visit the Freer and Sackler galleries, where they had an exhibit on the role of Felines in Egyptian Art. It was really cool to learn about how Egyptians associated their traits with specific divinities. Cats enjoy the sun, so they were frequently associated with the God Re. Because of cats protective instincts, many goddesses were represented as female cats. As a result from my experience, I had my first graders do a quick project based upon this exhibit

Materials Needed
Gold Acrylic Paint
9x 12" Black Construction Paper
9x12" white drawing paper
brown/orange Crayola Color Stix
Texture Plates
Torn kraft paper sheets ( long enough to fill bottom of paper)
Orange/Yellow/Red Flourescent Tempera Paint
Paint Brushes
Pencils
Sequins (Optional)

Day 1#- I talked to my students about the background information about Egyptian cats as described above. Using pencil, students drew an eygptian cat on a 9x12" piece of black construction paper. I encouraged them to draw a small pyramid behind their cat to be used later on. They then used small brushes and used gold acyrlic paint to go over their original drawings.

Day 2#- I spoke to my students about the weather in Egypt. How it is mostly made up of desert, and is usually very hot there. We identified the hot colors on the color wheel, and I also explained how they are analogous colors on the color wheel. I had my students paint the sunset in a circular motion, starting from yellow, orange, and then finally red using tempera paint on a 9 x12" piece of drawing paper.

Day 3#- After the students' background had dried from the previous week, it was now time to put all of this together. I gave the students small pieces of torn kraft paper, and demonstrated how to use color stix and place texture places underneath to create a texture rubbing. This would create "sand". When done with that, they cut out their Egyptian Cat Paintings and (pyramid). I had the students arrange their pieces before gluing down to make sure the perspective was right. First the background paper, then torn kraft paper, and the Egyptian cat on top to make it look like our cats were sitting in the sand! I used some tacky glue and added a little sequin on the cats' crown for fun!