Unit Overview: Students collected rocks in order to create a painted rock design using acrylic paint. I know, painted rocks. So cliché.
However, there is an important artistic principle here: Shape is important. Seems simple, right? If only. I had students pick rocks and then develop their painted rock idea on the shape of their rock. Not all rocks are the same. Therefore, it is important to develop your artistic idea based on the shape, size, and weight of the rock. This is different from our typical standpoint of develop the idea first, then collect items. For our rocks, I had students paint a primer - a base coat of either black or white - on first. The reason why is to ensure more vivid colors for the final. Students who wanted lighter paints used a white primer - students who wanted dark paints used a black primer. Side note: Don't return painted rocks back to the environment. The paint can chip and flake and cause harm to wildlife. If you choose to do painted rocks, keep them in your own garden or flower pots. Or make yourself a rock garden. If you ever dispose of these rocks, put them in the trash. It is the only way to ensure that wildlife isn't harmed.
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Unit Overview: Students created menus of their own design to demonstrate how to layer image and text. Students were required to create a menu with breakfast, lunch, and dinner and draw images of at least 3 food items on the menu. I was sick. Snow days and school events had thrown off my scheduling. What to do with a class that is so ahead? Menus! Because food is life.
For this lesson, I utilized YouTube videos from Art for Kids Hub. They have a whole category on food. Check it out! I developed my menu and listed the following criteria for their menus: 1. Restaurant title 2. Three categories ( Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner) (Anything else they added was additional work on their part) 3. Three drawings of food (Because this is art class, after all) 4. Menu must be readable Unit Overview: Students studied artist Vincent Van Gogh and created a sunflower artwork using paper, watercolors, and rulers in order to create a 3-D work of art. Is there anything more happy (or more sad) than sunflowers? Somehow, at least to me, they are both the happiest and saddest flower simultaneously. Kind of like Eeyore, with a cloud over his head, casting a half smile as he looks on a droopy daisy. Maybe it's just me.
Nonetheless, I made these pop-up sunflower pictures with first grade. The lesson was broken down into three parts: 1. Make the sunflower and paint. 2. Make the checkerboard background. (Classes who were behind skipped this step) 3. Put it all together. Really focus on the checkboard background. The development of this helps students really understand the importance of rulers and how to make an even, straight line. Coloring the checkerboard is an equal challenge. Some students got it, some won't. It will take time, but introducing it early helps them to better understand pattern and design. Don't forget to teach pop-up tabs so that your sunflower pops out of the background! |
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