Babushka Drawings

 

Before winter break the art club students and I learned the traditional Russian word for Grandmother; Babushka. We had a great discussion about what our Grandmothers mean to us and how they fit into our families. I read to the students about how Russian Grandmothers rule the household more than the male family figures. Some of the kids laughed at that while others said "That's how it is in my family!"

Next, I showed the students images of Russian nesting dolls, or Matryoshka Dolls, which are wooden painted dolls that fit one inside the other. They are also known as Babushka dolls. The students using the patterns from real Russian dolls were inspired to draw their own. When the doll was complete, the students wrote a short passage celebrating something about their Grandmothers. The results were colorful and insightful to my students' families.

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Science and Art Predictions

This Friday the art club learned how to chart predictions just like scientists. The lessons involved a bucket of water and five items. The items were a paperclip, a seashell, a piece of tissue paper, a sponge, and a cork. Using the chart, the students predicted if each of these items would float or sink. They then tested their predictions by placing the items in the bucket of water to see if it would sink or float. 

We had rich discussions about why certain items sank and why certain items would float. The students discovered that items that were light and filled with air and holes would float while other denser items, such as the seashell, would sink. The next part of the discussion was about which item would make the best material to build a boat. The class agreed that the cork would be the best.

After our experiments the students began to design their sail to attach to their cork boats. On the same paper as their predictions chart the students came up with a name, colors, and a design for their sail. I was so impressed with the variety of ideas form the students.

Next art class the students will assemble their cork boats by attaching three corks together with a rubber band and setting up the sail with a wooden skewer. We hope to fill a bath and race the boats!

 

photo resource of completed boat: http://mamapapabubba.com

Mixing Paint and Drawing Bugs!

  

This past week I had my kindergarten and first grade mixing the primary colors to create the secondary colors. We watched this fun video from the band Ok Go about the primary colors. By the end of the class, all of the students were singing along and able to name the secondary colors! Not only did the video help the students to name the primary colors, but actually mixing their primary colors on a paper plate to create the secondary colors really solidified their knowledge of color theory. Actual experiences are much richer for student learning and engagement then just talking about the subject.

The prekindergarten students also watched a video book last week, but it was not about the primary colors, it was about bugs! The video was a story book called Bugs, Bugs, Bugs by Bob Barner. It is super colorful and engaging for my young students. At the end of the video the students learn about each type of bug that was talked about in the story. Fun little facts about each one.

Next, I taught the young students how to use observational drawing to create bugs. I showed the students how to hold the bug in your hand while drawing it with your other hand. I was so impressed at how my three and four year olds grasped this wonderful skill so quickly. Their bugs were to interesting to look at and the students really caught all the small details of the plastic bugs! I have a lot of great future artists in my prekindergarten class!

 I also had an extra special kindergarten class this week that was able to experience warm and cool colors whoile painting in the hallway! We had a weird thing happen with the heat in the building and my art room was literally freezing. So, being flexible we moved art class into the hallway!

  

I introduced the students to warm and cool colors and how they can make us feel. Next, we taped large poster paper the wall with painters tape and created boxes and triangles. Inside these spaces we painted warm and cool colors. Pictured here is  partner group of two who experimented with the cool color green and the warm color yellow. The results are so fun and cheery!

Everyday Photos from Around the Art Room

The students, preschool through fifth grade, have been working on a lot of exciting projects in the art room. I really enjoying taking photos of the students working and catching them in their creative process. Here are a few images from around the art room from the last few weeks. Please feel free to also check out our classroom Instagram feed by click on the camera the button on the right side of this page.

 

This is a third grade student working on creating a bird sculpture with Crayola's model magic and feathers. The students and I practiced creating spheres and cylinders with the model magic before letting loose and making a creative bird.  This project was possible due to the kindness of donors through Donors Choose. We loved creating projects with these special materials!

Here is a kindergarten student working on a drawing using only black, white, and purple crayons. We read the book Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. We learned that Harold could draw anything he wanted to, using his creativity.

 Here is a patten made by a preschool student during exploring time. They used these manipulatives not only to make patterns but to build structures.

 Here is a kindergarten student creating a castle drawing using colored pencils. As a class we spoke about 3d forms, like cones and cylinders, and then made castles from those forms. I am so proud of the way kindergarten has grasped the knowledge of 3d forms.

 Here is a picture of a first grade student also using 3d forms to create a robot. This robot was then completed using colored pencils.

 Another example of a kindergarten drawing using 3d forms. This student used a castle that a classmate had made in another class for their drawing inspiration.

 Pictured here is a second grade student working on their favorite food collage. That large lemonade looks so good!

Lastly, here is an image of a student who has completed their robot drawing. Next to their drawing is the art room rubric for second grade. This rubric helps students to be reflective about their work and how they can improve their artistic behavior for the next class.

Special Needs Students Discover Fall Textures.

We all know that when a student is using self discovery their learning is more rich and meaningful. I had my special needs/autistic class using discovery to create art a few weeks ago. I prepared a table by taping  plastic texture plates to it and then laid a large white piece of paper over it.  I then placed large crayons, with their paper peeled off, on top of the white paper. I then had the students rub the crayons over the white paper to which they delightfully found neat textures! They rubbed and rubbed and really enjoyed the sensory experience of texture plates.

Next, we decided to push the project to another level by adding painted leaves from stencils. The plastic stencils are easy for the students to use with dot markers. The dot markers are filled with paint, but keep the students hands clean. This is a wonderful option for special needs students who may be uncomfortable with paint, water, or brushes.

The end results were so lovely and colorful! I am so proud of my special students.