Ocean Silhouettes

 It's the end of the year, and I needed a quick, fun, and simple lesson. This lesson was perfect because it's fun, uses few supplies and takes little time. My second graders created these silhouette ocean scenes.  I found the basic idea for this lesson at: http://youngschoolart.blogspot.com/2016/10/2nd-gradesilhouettes.html?m=1.  This took two classes to complete.  In the first class, students created the watercolor background. We discussed warm and cool colors to create the background.  During the second class, students used black sharpies to create silhouettes.

Prints, 5th Grade

 These are styrofoam prints created by my fifth graders.  Each student carved a design into a piece of styrofoam, and then printed it four times.  I kept this fairly open ended.  Students could create any design as long as it didn't have words or letters.  Students also chose the colors they wanted to print. Some students chose to make all four prints the same color, while others chose multiple colors.   

 I think these turned out really well!

Coil Pots, 4th Grade

My fourth graders have been creating coil pots.  Students learned to create coils, and attach using the score and slip method. Since this is their first experience with coils, I also give them the option to create a pinch pot for the base.  I do this because many students struggle to create a strong enough base with only coils.  

 So far, these look wonderful. We still need to fire and glaze them.  I will post more pictures when they are finished.

Clay Cupcakes, 3rd Grade

My school has been doing clay for weeks now.  These are the clay cupcakes made by my third graders.  Students used the pinch pot method to create the top and bottom of the cupcake.  Students also used a silicone cupcake liner to create a realistic look to the bottom of the cupcake.  Instead of glaze, they used tempera paint to add color.  Overall, these were a huge success! 

Pinch Pot Monsters, 2nd Grade

My second graders made pinch pot monsters. 

First, they created pinch pots with clay. Then students added eyes, mouths, and other details to create a monster.  All added pieces were scored and slip.  Hint: If you add vinegar to the slip, it attaches better.

After they were out of the kiln, we painted with watercolors.  I then put a clear acrylic sealer over it, to add a shine.

Clay Fish, 1st Grade

I teach on a cart at one of my schools.  This is a simple clay lesson that I did with first graders, and it worked very well on a cart.  I found the idea for this lesson on Cassie Stephen's blog.  I made a few changes to the original lesson though, since I teach from a cart. 

 I brought small pieces of cardboard to the classroom, for students to work on .  This helped keep the clay from sticking to their desks.  Students created the texture by stepping on the clay with their shoes. One hint: make sure the clay is not too wet.  If the clay is really wet, it gets stuck to their shoes.  Details were added and everything was scored and slipped. 

After the clay was dry and fired in the kiln, students added color using oil pastels.  Then we brushed over everything with watered down India Ink.  This created a resist.  

Clay Faces, 5th Grade

A few weeks back, I posted about my students' clay pots, but at that point the pots had not been glazed.  Here are the final results.

 As I mentioned in my previous post, these pots were made using the slab technique. All details were added using the score and slip method.   Before creating these pots, my students watched this History Detectives video.  It really is a great introduction to the history of face pots. 

Cultural Landscapes, 4th Grade

This was an art integrated lesson that was co-taught with the librarian at my school.  In library, the students researched a country of their choosing.  They also wrote about their country.  Then in art, the students drew a landscape of that country.  I borrowed a few Chromebooks and library books, so students could research the features of their country's landscape. 

Using observational skills, students drew landscapes using photos as reference. Students drew in pencil, outlined in marker, and painted with watercolors.

Each one turned out different, and the students are so proud of them!  This is one of my favorite assignments from this school year!  We will be displaying these at International Night at my school.  

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Kindergarten

 With my Kindergarteners, I love to begin their art lessons with a story.  This one was based on Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Williams.  I found this wonderful art idea on Cassie Stephens' blog, but changed it a little to fit my time frame.

I had my students draw a pigeon with crayons.  Students then drew a background.  I encouraged designs and symbols in the background.  Students then used watercolors to paint their drawings.  Overall, I think these turned out wonderful!

Winter Paintings, 3rd Grade

 Right before Christmas break, I had my third graders create winter landscapes.  The goal of this assignment was to teach color mixing.  I showed students how to create tints with their paint.  This is how we created the sky.

 The landscape was painted with black and white to create a silhouette.  I allowed students to paint anything as long as it was a winter scene.  Of course, I ended up with a lot of Christmas themed ones, since we did these in December.