End of Another Year

Well, Friday ended my 16th year of art teaching, and this summer brings some pretty exciting changes for me, since my summer project is finishing my pregnancy.  It has been an interesting year balancing pregnancy with the day to day workings of an art room.  And, it will be a strange start to the year, having a substitute begin for me, and coming into the room later. (By later, I mean about 2 weeks into the school year) but, different, nonetheless.  I thought I'd end the year by showing off some quick little Dragon Contours that my 4th graders did.  To add a splash of color quickly (since at the end of the year, you cannot guarantee your schedule) we did a bleeding tissue trick.  I only asked that they try to use cool colors on the dragon, and warm around it. I like the variety of dragons- everything from fierce to cute.  I gave the students some idea sheets, but made sure that they were too small to trace.  Also, I encouraged them to use parts of many dragons to invent their own, rather than just to copy.

Coat of Arms-4th Grade

FINALLY!  I found something that my stubborn 4th graders are actually interested in.  Interested enough to follow all of the steps, and spend a reasonable amount of time working towards a quality art project- Coats of Arms.  I began by talking about the reasons for them, and how they'd changed over the years.  We listed personality traits that we felt we had.  And, I gave each student a folder with symbols/meanings that would have been typical in a traditional coat of arms.  They designed it on paper, then transferred it to a Styrofoam tray, which we would use as our printing plate (I kept their paper designs for a later project).  As they worked on their weaving this week, I called students back to print. (typically, I am fearless, and I set up printing stations, which allow all students to print together, but, this group has so many discipline issues, I did not feel it was safe, or in the best interest of the students) I had 6 (wow) ink colors available, since color also has meaning on a coat of arms.  And, they could use 2-3 (although, some tried 4), as long as they remembered to switch brayers, and not mix up my inks.  Each student had the chance to make 2 prints.  I like to give the chance to make more than one print for a couple of reasons. 1st, printmaking is a fickle art, and does not always yield the results we desire.  2nd, I like for students to compare/analyze their prints next session, often choosing the best one for me to grade.  Self- Critique is not an easy thing to teach at the elementary level, but, having them use some choice/preference seems a good way to approach this concept.  My students had such a good time with this- My plan is to have them use markers to color their paper designs, and create a "key" which shows what their symbols and colors mean.  I am hoping to ride the success of this project by including some dragon/castle drawings.