Feathers for Lunch

Third graders read the book Feathers for Lunch by Lois Elhert.  The story is about a cat that gets out and discovers different birds but all he catches is feathers for lunch.  Elhert's illustrations are wonderful! She also labels all the birds and has each one's call written beside it.  She also includes plants in her book that she labels as well.  At the end of the book each bird is identified along with facts about it.  

We drew our favorite bird after reading the story.  The next day we learned how to make a bird using Model Magic.  We learned about how to make forms (cylinder, sphere) and about using an armature (toothpicks to help the legs stay straight).  The students had a great time with this!

Crazy About Quilts

Students in fourth grade study North Carolina.  Quilting is one of the arts of our state that I like to incorporate into art!  The students used skills in measuring, design and pattern to create these quilt squares.  They were combined to create a class quilt!

Fourth Grade Quilt Collages

I wanted to work with quilts in third grade as well.  We concentrated more on measuring with this quilt.  The log cabin quilt is a pretty easy pattern to follow because it consists of one-inch strips of different lengths.  Third grade also created their own patterned paper for these collages using paint, stamps, and drawing materials.

Third Grade Log Cabin Quilts













 





Jackson Pollock, without the splatter!

It is important for our students to learn about American artists.  Jackson Pollock was one of the first artists that came to mind, but who really wants to set their kids loose with a paintbrush and permission to "splatter paint"?  My classes are only 30 minutes long, not quite enough time to clean up a splatter paint mess!  I found an idea to use marbles to create the splatter paint effect.  The results are much less messy and much more like the work of Pollock!

Here is the link to the Jackson Pollock Marble Lesson:

http://www.storyboardtoys.com/gallery/Jackson-Pollock-lesson-plan.htm

Kindergarten Monsters!

To inspire the imagination of my kindergarten students, I started a monster unit.  We started with two great monster books: There's a Nightmare in My Closet by Mercer Mayer and There Was an Old Monster by Rebecca, Adrian and Ed Emberley.  We have worked on drawing monsters, our bedrooms with nightmares in them, clay monsters, and below are shoe texture monsters!



Monster drawing: There Was an Old Monster



Kindergarten Art Centers

I have a kindergarten class that has 29 students.  This is actually 1 class combined with 1/2 of another kindergarten class.  This can be a very challenging class, trying to do whole-group instruction.  I decided to try art centers, something kinders are accustomed to in their regular class.  Two centers are self directed and at one center I teach the art concept I would like the kinders to learn.  This way I am only teaching at most 10 kids at a time.  So far, with my new behavior plan, this has worked pretty well.  Next week I will switch up the centers and try a few classes with whole group instruction.


Kindergarteners working in art centers

Apple Prints done in Art Centers



New School Year

This year has presented many challenges for me.  New classroom, new principal, new schedule.  The schedule has been a big adjustment.  I teach 12 classes back to back everyday...Needless to say, the art room can get a little crazy with this schedule.  Behavior has been an issue with my classes like never before.  This may be because of the class combination, or my sudden lack for enthusiasm for yet another class coming into the revolving door of the art room (sigh)!  I have worked out a system, after much research from other blogs, that might work for me.

I wear behavior cards on my apron so my students know where they stand!

At the end of each class I put either green, yellow, or red beside the class for each day they are in art.
If they have a majority of green days they earn an art reward day!

Eric Carle - I See a Song

A great video of Eric Carle's I See a Song

Here are some other projects based on the artwork of Eric Carle!

The Mixed Up Chameleon

 Rooster's Off to See the World