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".

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. 

3rd Grade Egyptian Scenes

3rd Grade Egyptian Scenes

Materials Needed
Paint Brushes
Tempera Paint (Flourescent Yellow, Orange, Pink)
12 x18" Kraft Paper
Construction Paper Crayons
Burnt Sienna/Tan Crayons
Brown Chalk Pastels
Q-Tips

I have recently become very inspired by Egyptian Art. The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, MD has an awesome collection on display. This unit focuses on Value and Form. The first day of the lesson, I introduced Egyptian art. I talked about how pyramids were built, and how most of the land is made up of desert. We reviewed both shape and form. In Art, pyramids are considered as form in art because they are 3-Dimensional. We started by practicing how to draw pyramids before we started on our final copy. When students felt ready, I gave them a  12x 18" piece of kraft paper.  I reminded students about when the start to draw their pyramids, that ones closer to us would be bigger and ones farther away would be smaller (space). I encouraged them to draw at least 3 pyramids.

On the second day of this unit, students finished drawing their pyramids, I had them draw some camels too! I talked about value and how students were to use brown, tan, and peach colors on the pyramids to create value. I showed them how to blend the crayons in. When the students were done coloring in their pyramids, they used brown and orange chalk pastels to add sand to the bottom of their pieces. I demonstrated how to use q-tips to help smear the chalk pastels around the pyramids. The q-tips also help keep the students' hands clean.

On the final day of this unit, I had the students use flourecent yellow, pink, and orange tempera paints to paint in the sky of their works. I encouraged them to blend the colors together to make the sunset.

3rd Grade-Yayoi Kusuma Pumpkin Paper Mache Sculptures

I have been trying to focus more on contemporary  artists recently, and came across the work of Yayoi Kusuma. Her "Infinity Mirrors" exhibit came to the Hirshhorn in Washington DC last spring. I tried to get tickets to see it, but unfortunately they sold out. Anyways, I still decided to do a lesson on her work. I always try to do a paper-mache lesson with my 3rd graders.  I talked about how Yayoi is an installation artist, and fascination her with dots and pumpkins.

The 1st part of this lesson I talked about what Installation Art is and what Form is in Art. Students identified that they the pumpkins that they would be creating would be in the shape of a "sphere." They did two sketches of what they would want their paper mache pumpkins to look like at the end. Students used colored pencils to color in their drawings.

Then students used newspaper to shape their pumpkins in to sphere. I always tell them to "shape" it as if they were making a snowball. You would rather have one that is tightly packed together. They used masking tape to hold the newspaper together. Then they rolled newspaper as if they were making a "scroll" to serve as the stem of their pumpkin. Students then attached that to their pumpkin. Using a sharpie, I had students write their names on masking tape and they stuck it to their sculptures.

The 3rd day of this unit is when they start to apply the paper-mache. I always have my students do two layers. I put the paper mache paste in cool-whip bowls, and have bowls full of cut up brown paper for them to dip in the paste. I instruct them to apply one wet strip, and then one dry strip. They apply the paper mache all over. As students are working I give them pieces of colored paper with their names on it which they put their sculptures on when done,

The 4th day of this unit is having students paint their dried paper mache pumpkins using tempera paint. I have them paint solid colors as the first layer

The 5th day of the lesson is having students decorate their painted paper mache pumpkins with dots all over using tempera paint again.

3rd Grade Symmetrical Bug Prints

One of my favorite mediums in art is printmaking. I loved my printmaking professor at Towson University during my undergraduate work. This unit incorporates math, and science.

Materials Needed
Tempera Paint
Foam Dabbers
Dull Colored Pencils
Foam ( 6x9")
pre-printed 12x18" construction paper
12 x18" construction paper
Glue
Scissors
Oil Pastels

I start this project by having my third graders look at the bodies of insects. We talk about symmetry, and how if we were to fold their bodies in half, they would be the same on both sides. We talk about the characteristics of bugs (wings, body, legs, and antennas). I give my students a sheet of bugs (ex, below)

This shows students half of the beetle's body. I give students a sheet of paper and have them fold it in half. I tell them to draw half of the bug's body on along the folded sheet of paper. When they are done drawing half of the body on the right side of the paper, and then fold over and shade on top of it. When they open their back up, the other side of their bug should appear. The next step is to have students tape their bug drawing onto a piece of foam. Using a dull colored pencils, they are to trace their drawing onto the piece of foam. I tell students to trace their drawings two times. When done, they give me their work so I can out the shape of their bug.

The next step is apply ink (paint) to the foam. I have my students use tempera paint and foam dabbers.  They like how they have to "daub" it. I tell them to dip their "dabber" into the paint once and apply the paint all over. I talk about color as well because they are printing on colored paper. I give them various 12 x18' paper to choose from. This gives the chance to print their stamp at least 4-5 times.

The final step is the next lesson, where I have students look over their printed stamps from the previous week. I encourage them to pick their best "two to three" prints for their final piece. They cut them out using scissors, and then choose from pre-printed 12x 18" bright colored paper. Once again I talk about color choice with the students. Before students glue on their insects into the background paper, using oil pastels they are to draw an environment for their chosen insect.