4th POV Snowmen

And snow so it begins the projects about winter and snow! And let me tell you, we have snow. Stevens Point, Wisconsin right now has 15 inches of snow on the ground and a new load comes every week. Also, POLAR VORTEX (which means 4 "cold days" off school). That Polar Vortex is one of the biggest reasons for lack of posts!

So here is the first winter project finished and displayed at all 3 schools...

These awesome guys were an extension from the POV Charcoal Trees I did with 4th. It was only a two class project but all of the students seemed to enjoy it and I will be doing this again next year! Once again a Pinterest inspired project that originated from this post.

Day 1, I started by taking 5 minutes at the beginning of class, without explanation as of why, having them draw a simple snowman. The only direction was a to chose a color to draw the snow in and keep it consistent, and to make it wearing something (or have accessories). Then I walked them through my examples which were 5 different views of my snowman and how they were drawn. The main objective was to have viewers piece together the snowman with each illustration. They were instructed to do this by not drawing the snowman as a whole in a regular forward view but in unique and different ways. By the end of the class most students had 2 or 3 finished.

Day 2, Work day and assembling! Right at the start of this project I was asked "How many do we do!?" My answer to that was at least 3 but we will keep making them until the last 15 minutes of class. This resulted in first moans or cheers, and followed with some students doing 10+ views (others managed to stretch out their drawings to do the minimum)! During the last 15 minutes students picked a color and assembled their strips.

I took up a lot of hall space for this but I wanted to hang every single one! They were just that awesome!

Kennedy Elementary...

Some students went a little more non-traditional...

Jefferson Elementary...

Another "non-traditional"

Some got smart and added a blank square as "really close up" 

McDill Elementary...

Arrows were added to ones that needed to be cut to display all of their drawings!

This one makes me so HAPPY when I look at it!

Art Crown

One of my 2nd graders at Jefferson who thinks I'm the best thing since sliced bread, always makes me things in her classroom during intervention blocks and always writes about me or something for me in writing, made me this...she may be the sweetest little girl in the world :)

Charcoal Trees

I love introducing new materials to students. Classroom teachers in my district do a lot of projects with students in their classrooms (which I LOVE), but this means that paper, glue, and scissors are not as exciting in the Art Room. And while they are my favorite supplies, they just get old for students. To mix things up for them and make Art even more exciting I try to give them many opportunities as possible to use new materials. Who knows...maybe I can introduce charcoal to the next Da Vinci!?

Day 1, 4th graders started this project experimenting with charcoal when they had their last workday on the previous project. They are allowed to draw whatever they want with the charcoal and when we clean up I ask them about the characteristics they discovered about the material. This was the first time I did this "experimenting" step. It not only gives them something to do in that open time but also settles any fears about the material when we actually start the project. I ended up doing this "experimenting" thing with other grades and different materials I loved it so much!

Day 2, The real project started with the next class introducing the different points of view in art. I show them a quick powerpoint of images exploring Worm's Eye, Bird's Eye, and "Looking Up" (as I call it) point of view. Before showing them each one I ask them to describe how they think a bug, a bird, and a critter (like a squirrel) would see the world. This usually peeks their interest! Then, I have them imagine they are in a forest and look up at the sky and what that would look like. I show them an image like this after they open their eyes. Lastly, before they get started on practice drawings we talk about how they can check if their view is right by lifting their papers above their heads and turing it any direction as if they were spinning in circles under the trees. I mention that if I hang these up, there shouldn't be a wrong way for me to hang them because of the view we are doing. Rest of the time they do a few practice drawings to get the hang of drawing this way.

Day 3, I demo the process of using a lid from a container to draw/trace my moon and drawing my tree in pencil. I talk about my tree crossing the moon and starting from different sides of the paper to make sure I am getting the correct view. Then I demo tracing in sharpie, just my tree, because my pencil will disappear under the charcoal. Last part of the demo is how to create a smooth layer of charcoal and keep the moon as white as possible. I explain that after all of this the tree is painted in with black tempera and they get to work.

Day 4, Most students start painting the tree in and begin work on the second tree image. I show them an image like this to inspire them. This one goes fairly quick because it is the exact same process as the last. I do not make them do any practice drawings for this drawing either. I also didn't make the second tree required because many students needed the full class to work and finish the first.

Some students needed time in the next class to finish after I introduced the next project. My assistant sprayed them all the trees with hairspray to seal them and mounted however many were done to black paper. And yes, I'm still using the tree from this project to display things with!

Once again, this project was pinterest inspired from this post on pinterest (it was just an image pin, BOO!).

Kennedy Elementary...

McDill Elementary...

Jefferson Elementary...

2D and 3D Monsters! (Part 2)

Remember when I did that first set of monsters? Well these were started at the same time and finally finished after getting kiddos caught up!

This is the second time I have done this project. The first time was during my long term subbing and with 1st graders. Having now done it with 2nd grade, I think the little bit older group was a better choice.

Day 1, I started with reading Jeepers Creepers A Monstrous ABC and talked about what it meant to be original and unique. Then we brainstormed with a web all of the different ways monsters could look or things they could have. Then students drew what they wanted their monsters to look like and the colors they wanted to use.

Day 2, We read one of my favorite books Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli  as inspiration for our setting for our monsters, a city! Then students did a watercolor crayon resist of the city.

Day 3, Monster construction started with a demo of looking at my sketch and figuring out how to turn my drawing into the construction paper collage monster. Students had to use at least 15 pieces of paper and when they were finished, no pencil lines showing. This was the part of the project that was a lot more successful then when I did it with 1st graders. Translating mediums is a lot more difficult for 1st than it was for 2nd.

Day 4, Students finished constructing and added the sentence talking about what their monster liked to eat. I had them paint a tube that was the same color as their monster without telling them what it was for. This got them excited and made it a lot easier to start the 3D process the next class.

Day 5, I introduced the concept of 2D and 3D. One of the most common responses I get when asking students if they know what 3D is, is 3D movies. This is a good jumping off point because we talk about how it looks like you can touch things in the movie. I introduce further by having an object that matched a drawing somewhere in the room. Then I demo how to translate my 2D monster into 3D and the kiddos get to work. I did have students work from pictures of their monster rather than their actual project to keep their 2D monsters glue and paint free.

Day 6, One last work day and most were done!

And I'm proud to say no Pinterest was used in creating the 2D lesson/project! However, the 3D was inspired by this one!

Kennedy Elementary...

This huge case is right in the entry way at our school. I've been dying waiting to have something to put in it! LOVE IT.

McDill Elementary...

Jefferson Elementary...

This is the only display case I have... which really bums me out!