Rousseau Animals

I am absolutely in love with these Grade 1 paintings! As our last unit of the school year, we focused on art history under the theme of Where We Are in Place and Time by inquiring into the central idea of understanding others inspires us.

The students were introduced to Henri Rousseau by watching a Mati and Dada video about the artist. We also read the book The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau by Michelle Markel and Amanda Hall.

They then brainstormed about animals they were interested in and chose one for their final artwork. In their sketchbooks, the students listed their chosen animal and the animal's habitat. They thought about the best lines and colors that could represent their animal's habitat in an abstract way in order to plan their background.

The background was then created with oil pastels and water colors based on their sketchbook plan. Their animal was drawn large on a separate paper and filled in with water color as well. I had a lot of scrap painted paper that had been saved through out the year, and this was used to collage extra details into their background like grass, seaweed, or flowers. Myself and the students were so impressed with their final results, I couldn't be a happier art teacher!

Designer Toys

This is one of my (and of course the students!) favorite units of the year. We start off with a provocation where each table in the classroom has a variety of toys that are old and new. The students are to compare and contrast the similarities and differences between all of the toys at their tables. In the end the one thing they all find in common is that all of the toys can move or have moveable parts. They then investigate how toy design has changed over time in order to gather inspiration for their own moveable toy creation. 

 In their sketchbooks, students came up with four different design ideas. They chose their favorite one to develop further by planning out all sides of their final toy including moveable parts and extra materials.

After finishing their design plan, they created a step by step process list of how they would create their toy using their previous knowledge of clay skills. 

The student's final moveable toys are so original and creative, everyone loves the final results! 

Printmaking Patterns

Grade 3 students set off on a wonderful printmaking journey this year by investigating pattern, symbols and space. 

They started by learning the difference between positive and negative space and practiced using their knew knowledge by designing and creating a notan. To plan their ideas they used the worksheet below that I had found on Pinterest.

After practicing manipulating positive and negative space, the students learned about Adrinka symbols and how pattern can have a special meaning. They designed their own special symbol while planning to create a rotational print. In order to see if their symbol would rotate, the students used the iPad app Pic Kids to check if their designs would rotate as planned.

 The students used EZ-Cut printing blocks to create their symbol as a stamp. Before printing, they used oil pastels to color a background that reflected their symbols meaning. Their final prints are absolutely fantastic!

Clay Self Portraits

Grade 4 students created clay self portraits this year while inquiring into the central idea of identity can be expressed in many ways. 

They investigated Guiseppe Arcimboldo's portraits as inspiration for a clay self portrait of their own. They started designing in their sketchbooks first, planning the back and front of their sculpture while combining different elements of who they are as an individual. 

The students used their design as a reference while creating with clay. 

 

The students then had fun adding layers of glaze as a final touch for these amazing self portraits!