The Dot

The Dot Reading and Activity

Description: "The Dot" is a story about a little girl who does not feel she is good at art. Because of her insecurity, she is annoyed when her teacher insists that she make an art piece, so she only makes one small dot. The next day, the girl was surprised to see that her dot was framed by the teacher and hung up. The girl then challenged herself to make a better dot, which the teacher hung up. She kept making dots, and the teacher kept hanging them until she had a whole collection of beautiful and artistic dots. For the art project, students had the opportunity to use markers, oil pastels, crayons, and watercolor paint on coffee filters in order to make their own beautiful version of a dot. The students must be able to use all of these mediums in order to be successful, so that is something a teacher should take into account when planning this lesson. I love this story, because it shows that people who feel they have no skill in art can still learn to make something beautiful. This semester, I was able to make some art pieces that I was proud of, and it made me excited to use them in my classroom, even though I was apprehensive to start with because of my insecurity in my art ability. I feel a little less insecure now that I know I can work with different mediums successfully.

Extension: To extend this lesson, I would assign my students a sketch book in which to create their own artwork. They would have to choose one type of thing to draw over and over again in different ways. As we went through different art techniques and mediums, I would as them to incorporate some of them into their pieces. These include shading, painting, and using oil pastels. Through this project, my students would become confident enough with their standard design, that they could become increasingly more adventurous with new sketches. Hopefully, this would help students like me to feel like they can succeed at artistic endeavors, as well as encouraging them to keep working to improve their skill set.

Clay Pendants (My Lesson)

Clay Pendants

Description: In this lesson, students are instructed on how to work with clay with techniques such as wedging, building walls, and rolling. Students are also taught about fossils and archaeology and how clay was used in human history. To tie together all parts of this lesson, students create a clay pendant by rolling out clay, cutting a shape, and imprinting a natural artifact on it. We also had our students paint their pendants and attach them to a string to make them into clay necklaces. We used air-dry clay so that we didn't have to wait for a kiln before attaching the clay to a string.

Extension: Now that the students know some techniques to working with clay, I would have them do another lesson in which their project is a little bigger and more difficult. I would have the students use their skill with the air dry clay to create a cup or bowl using the coiling method. For this lesson, I would make sure to model and explain everything that I did before I asked students to do it, because I remember being confused one the procedure when I made a coil pot. This project is useful, because I know of many of my classmates who still have and use their coil pot to hold things. In fact, my coil pot is a drink holder in my car when I get a coffee.

Oil Pastel Turtles

Oil Pastel Turtles

Description: This turtle project was easy to teach and to let students be creative with. First, the teachers instructed the students to fold a paper in 6 sections. Then, the teacher had us use 6 strategies with oil pastels. These strategies included heavy and light pressure blending, color mixing, stippling, scumbling, and sgraffito. These strategies are all found in the turtle example above. Students are then instructed on some easy ways to draw the turtle feet, head, and tail. They can divide their turtle into whatever sections they like, and they can use their knowledge of color, technique, and design to create a unique product.

Extension: This project could be extended by doing a lesson on ocean wildlife in connection with the sea turtle. The students could also use this for fish scales designs. The teacher could discuss the marine habitat and the needs and behaviors of the animals that live there as the students work on their fish scales oil pastel project. This one would take longer as there are many scales on a fish, so the students would be able to get into a rhythm, and practice each of these techniques many times.

Georgia O'Keefe Flowers

Georgia O'Keefe Flowers

Description: This painting lesson included teaching about texture. The teachers had us fold a paper into 6 sections, and they had 6 different types of texturing techniques. For this project, we looked at Georgia O'Keefe's flowers and used that knowledge to create our own flowers with watercolors. We could use our different texturing techniques such as using salt, white crayons, and dry brushing. Through this project, students can use their new knowledge of texturing to create a more realistic looking flower design.

Extension: Students could take each type of painting technique and think of different ways that they could use their techniques with other paintings. They could then choose one type of technique and make many paintings using that one technique for their art portfolio. It could be similar to the dot project in which the girl created many projects with the same theme.

Printmaking

Printmaking

Description: This lesson was on printmaking using a jelly plate. The teachers helped me to use texture squares to create a pattern. They also helped me to learn how to roll the pattern onto a sheet of paper. We then got to use a stencil to create a design. Finally, we created our own stencil and created a square of it. This was a project in which we discussed Andy Warhol and the printmaking that he has done. This project was interesting, because it incorporated themes of advertising, and it taught students a new procedure for creating artwork.

Extension: This project could be used around Mothers' Day again for students to create a Mothers' Day card. They could also extend their learning by using stamps. It is a process that is less difficult, so teachers could use stamps more with younger students. When students have taken ownership of the processes required to create cards, it could be a fun activity to use with any time that he students are expected to create a card. The teacher could pass this procedure on to the next teacher so that students can continue to enjoy making meaningful and intricate cards.

Egg Carton Animals

Egg Carton Animals

Description: This lesson was all about learning to use primary and secondary colors. Students use primary colors to draw and label as many objects as they can of that color. Then they use a secondary color for their egg carton animals. When we did the project, the teachers had us use the rest of our time to write down as many objects that they can of another primary color. This background is then used as the background for the little egg carton animal. The whole lesson is related to the "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" book.

Extension: To extend this project, I would teach the students about the colors in between primary and secondary colors, which are called tertiary colors. I would have them practice mixing paints to create these colors, and they could try using their knowledge of mixing colors to match different paint swatches. They could use black and white to create different shades of the same hue like their paint swatches. Their final project could be a recreation of the paint swatches on a piece of construction paper.

3D Figures

3D Figures

Description: This project incorporates physical movement into 3D design. Students take turns drawing a stick figure outline of their partner. For this, students must be able to only focus on the main idea and outline instead of trying to incorporate every detail. They must also use a pose to create with pipe cleaners. One thing that I didn't think about as I created the stick figure is that it needs to be balanced in order to stand up straight. Because of this, I had to use pipe cleaners to support it. That is something that the teacher should remind the students of before they decide on on a pose for their 3D figure. Finally, the students cover the whole thing with aluminum foil.

Extension: Students could research different types of sports poses. They could incorporate sports that they are interested in, but haven't been able to try yet. They could also do a reflection on how a person would have to train in order to be able to do those poses. This way, students could think about the work involved in being an athlete and think about whether or not they would like to pursue it. It also could open up their mind to the work that it takes to become other kinds of athletes, which might be something new for them to think about.

Drawing Lesson

Line Landscapes

Description: This lesson taught about using different kinds of lines as well as what the horizon line is. This is a great project for helping elementary students to learn how to organize their drawings. They are to use the horizon line, about 3 other types of lines (such as zig zags, parallel lines, wavy lines, and curved lines). They also must use an object in their creation, which is great practice for them to learn how to scale objects to fit their surroundings as the boats and shovel are scaled in my drawing. Then students paint over top using water color. I think it would also be appropriate for teachers to have students use colored pencils, which might help them keep the drawing the way they intended.

Extension: Students could next work on scaling. The teacher could use many exemplars for students to see the way that artists change the sizes of objects based on their position in the picture. Students could use a straight horizon line and practice creating a road going off into the distance. They could also practice by placing one bird on the ground nearby and by placing an airplane into the far off distance nearer to the horizon line. The teacher could use Van Gogh's Starry Night for this project by showing how large the tree looks and how relatively small the town looks.

Tree of Life

Tree of Life

Description: The tree of life is a 2D paper design in which students create a tree using a swirling technique and then overlay it with a representation of their family. This project requires instruction on how to properly hold and move a paintbrush in order to create the desired effect. It also gives students the opportunity to use patterned papers to describe their family members. Because of the many branches students create, they have the opportunity to practice over and over again until they have mastered the technique. 

Extension: To extend this project, the students could find a person to create a family tree with roots. This person would ideally be a grandparent who could trace back their lineage to their grandparents. The student could put a picture of their subject at ground level and only create as many branches and roots as there are members of that generation of the family. For example, if a subject has 2 kids, there would be 2 main roots. If one kid had 5 of their own kids, and the other had 2, one root would have 5 smaller roots going farther down, and the other would have 2. That way, the student could have a better understanding of a family tree and their genealogy which relates well to social studies.

Van Gogh Collage

Van Gogh Collage

Description: In this activity, students create a background with tissue paper and oil pastels. They glue over top with mod podge to complete the night sky effect. Finally, they create and cut out a silhouette of a landscape to place over top of their background. This teaches students about Vincent Van Gogh's style of artwork and about using silhouettes to imitate objects with a lack of other detail. This is a great lesson to use for students in grades 3-5.

Extension: This type of premise could be used with many famous paintings and artists. For example, students working with Vermeer could use the lady with the pearl as an inspiration. Students could create multiple pictures of the same person in different environments by using one defining quality. They could do a variation of the silhouette so that the background of the picture is black and the silhouettes are the colorful part.

Hidden Safari

Hidden Safari

Description: In this lesson, students are asked to first draw an animal in a cool color on a sheet of paper using the drawing upside down technique. This technique is appropriate for students who are in the primary grades, because they can then learn about drawing details and using technique instead of trying to draw from memory. After drawing their animal, the students create a pattern of warm colors over the top. Through this, they are learning about warm colors and cool colors. Finally, the students can create red eye goggles that will allow them to see through the warm colors to the cool color animal underneath. This completes the safari theme.

Extension:
I would extend this activity by using the camouflage activity that I made in Dr. Jay's class. I would have the students try to count all of the butterflies which are made up of black sharpie, white paper, and newsprint all against a newsprint background. The students generally aren't able to find all of the newsprint butterflies as easily as they can find the others. Using this activity, I would be able to teach my students more about how blending into surroundings is a trait that helps animals to survive. 

Elements and Principles Presentation

Elements and Principles Presentation

Description: Asking students to create an elements and principles presentation is a great way to help them get to higher order thinking. Students go take pictures of different objects and scenery that remind them of the elements (Lines, Shapes, Texture, Space, Value, and Color) and principles (Balance, Rhythm/Movement, Contrast, Unity/Variety, Emphasis, and Pattern/repetition) of art. Through this activity, students can better understand what the concepts mean than they would through simply a teacher presentation.

Extension: One possible extension would be for students to take one element or principle and try to think of as many cross-curricular and life connections as possible. Students can use a bubble organizer with their different thoughts and share their ideas with their pods. In this way, they can come to a fuller understanding of the concept by seeing how each use of the word is related.

Footprint Introductory Art Project

Footprint Introductory Art Project

Description:
For my footprint project, I included an image in the background which describes the activities I like and my childlike personality. This image has a park, disc golf, and confetti balloons. The left side of my foot included found items which described important things to me. One is a note which represents my relationships with loved ones. Another is a cross which represents my Christian faith. Finally I have a latch that came from my guitar case, because music is also important to me, as it relieves my stress.

Extension:
I think a great extension of this activity would be to have students make a footprint of historical figures. Students could research these people and find out what they stood for, what they enjoyed, and what shaped their lives. This would help students to retain the information that they were researching, because they would be putting together something creative.