tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35784372156059854272024-03-13T12:50:22.287-07:00Art MattersMrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.comBlogger242125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-66062644669058582642016-02-24T19:18:00.001-08:002016-02-24T19:30:36.959-08:00Sub didn't showEvery once in a while, we run into the unfortunate situation where a substitute teacher cancels a job for some reason. When they do this on short notice, we have to split classes or cover for that teacher. In this instance, I had a class and 1/2 come to art. What to do with 30 3rd graders? We have been working on landscapes, so we created these mini beauties to demonstrate Foreground, Middleground and Background. Cray Pas were used for sky and details. <div><img id="id_90d8_a697_35f2_eda8" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-S_qQb9vqjL4/Vs5yhaZ-g7I/AAAAAAAACHI/rml3-fM_2T4/%25255BUNSET%25255D.png" alt="" title="" style="width: 552px; height: auto;"><br></div><div><img id="id_aa6d_3262_321a_b79e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FP8PKLY9-U4/Vs5yjFniweI/AAAAAAAACHM/hDpJuzlkQYQ/%25255BUNSET%25255D.png" alt="" title="" style="width: 551px; height: auto;"><br></div><div><img id="id_fd10_5d9f_7a88_d96e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-934Xp3y68k0/Vs5ykdDG5lI/AAAAAAAACHQ/c5I2MO6KZJ8/%25255BUNSET%25255D.png" alt="" title="" style="width: 557px; height: auto;"><br></div>Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-64226594211824487242015-05-15T11:33:00.001-07:002015-05-15T11:33:59.685-07:00Woven "Blankets"Totally stole this from Pinterest, so if you are the awesome art teacher who thought this up, thanks so much! It was a perfect end of the school year activity. My first graders had to learn to weave with paper. I'm sure we're all up to "here" with the rectangle checkerboard placemat. I've made them into houses, We've drawn designs on them. I've even seen them turned into a picnic basket picture (maybe next year). But this year, after completing the weaving, I turned the kids loose with my scrap box and let them create their little heads poking out of the top of the "blanket". What personality. They really enjoyed this. We had discussions regarding the way we sleep, that we don't always fall right asleep, not everyone sleeps on their back, etc. <br />
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<br />Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-52406294130419836182015-04-27T19:05:00.001-07:002015-04-27T19:05:47.253-07:00Cinderella StoriesPart of the scope/sequence for this 9 weeks here in Nashville is Narrative Artwork with 1st grade. Since we had used Cinderella as a jumping point for our observational shoe drawings, I decided to keep going with a good thing. We talked about our favorite parts of the story- we summarized, talked about important details for particular parts. We also had a quick talk about action, and using lines to show action. Then, I turned them loose, and had them sketch out their scene. When they came back the next session, I had the paints ready, and they just went to town, Honestly, I haven't met a 1st grader who doesn't like to paint. In their enthusiasm, the painted scenes were a little hard to decipher, so when they returned the next session, I had them trace their pencil lines with Sharpie.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying on the Slipper while the jealous step sisters look on. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preparing for the ball with the help of the Fairy Godmother</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running away at midnight</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The loss of the slipper</td></tr>
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Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-35667605279004426682015-04-20T19:08:00.000-07:002015-04-20T19:08:30.947-07:00Cinderella StoryThe scope and sequence for my district this 9 weeks asks us to explore observational artwork with 1st grade. Not an easy concept, and such a wide skill set with 1st grade. Last year, I developed a neat little lesson which coincides with my 1st grade classroom teachers' exploration of Cinderella. (At least I think they do that). Anyhow. We start by learning the word observant, and taking a glance at a William Wegman book I have, where the dogs act out Cinderella. Very wordy, but the pictures are cute, and it gets the idea of using humor to tell a story across. We then take off a shoe- which the kids think is hysterical, and we draw it- being very observant, and trying to be as accurate as possible. I have them trace with sharpie, color with crayon, and cut it out. The sock/leg combo is added, and they write their name on the back- this is very important, because I then have them write 3 simple clues about themselves. (I have green eyes, I have freckles, etc). I then display the shoes and clues in the hallway, and we encourage those in the hallway to try to match the shoe to the artist. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The girl is in 1st grade-amazing when she's in the zone. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not sure if the hairy leg is funnier, or the fact that it's a girl...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She preferred pants to bare legs</td></tr>
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<br />Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-29521151333798413882015-03-03T06:57:00.000-08:002015-03-03T06:57:04.719-08:00Sweet Art Project<br />
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In getting ready for my annual school-wide art show, typically held in March, my students and I used the heart as our jumping off point. I was curious as a teacher to explore variations on such a simple theme, and Jim Dine is a very appropriate artist for elementary, and for February. I did not foresee all of the snow we've had. Our art show is now scheduled for early April. But, since I haven't seen my kids through 1/2 of February, and Spring Break is at the end of March-we're pressing on, and presenting our hearts in spring. <br />
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This little project was done with 2nd grade. We drew a bunch of hearts. The only rule was they had to show overlapping. I did not care which way they turned them, and I even allowed stencils. We then traced our designs with sharpie on overhead plastic, or acetate. This allowed us to lay tissue on top, and trace pieces. Once we had the pieces traced, they were attached by spreading a thin layer of glue onto the acetate. A large sheet of tissue covered the entire thing. When the glue is COMPLETELY dry, the design can be peeled back off the plastic, and attached to white paper. This gives it a stained glass look. We constructed frames, and used black paint to add the contour lines. The kids absolutely loved the look of it. I like this project because it can be adapted to many themes- I've done ocean scenes with it as well. All students can find a measure of success, because it is a lot of tracing.<br />
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<br />Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-38025124238949801042014-11-19T05:00:00.001-08:002014-11-19T05:00:28.377-08:00Masks 3rd GradeEvery year, I teach a mask unit to the 3rd graders. It's one of my faves. There is a lot of buy in from the kids- they are so excited when I drop the word clay- and they'll do just about anything I ask, knowing that mask making is upon us. In various years, I've presented a variety of themes; this year, my theme was... no theme. Yep, I didn't make any requirements such as animal theme, or Day of the Dead Skulls- no requirement other than they had to choose a feeling, or a main idea, and their work would support their idea by shape, color, texture, etc. A lot of choice. We did practice sketches, talked about various ways they might approach this, and looked at a lot of masks, discussing the first reaction those masks gave us. When it was time to paint, I again offered choice. One side of the room was reserved for acrylic paint, the other for the oil pastel/black paint resist technique floating around pinterest lately. And, finally, I had wire, pipe cleaners, feathers, beads and sparkles available. <br />
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Thoughts? I am fried. This was a lot to manage. It's not for the faint of heart. <br />
Did all students succeed? Well- hmmm. Not all of the masks were pretty, or well done. Many students should have spent more time on their painting (but that's usually the case). BUT- my kids are delighted. They love their creations. They were so excited to take them home, and I didn't settle one argument about who did which mask. They simply knew their work- they were attached. And dying to see their masks at every stage. There's a lot to be said for that. <br />
Will I do this level of choice all the time? I'm not sure. Will I increase the opportunities for choice? You bet!<br />
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Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-2146746297693072672014-10-21T18:04:00.002-07:002014-10-21T18:04:38.703-07:00Kandinsky inspired art projectsHere in Nashville, it is Artober- a monthlong celebration of all things arty around town. It's a lot of fun. In our schools, we chose Wassily Kandinsky as a focus artist (he has an AMAZING retrospective exhibit at The Frist Center for the Visual Arts right now). Here are some of my 3rd and 4th grade responses to his work. <br />
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3rd Grade- we used Kandinsky's concentric circles as inspiration to create these amazing circle weavings. I have the students plug the hole in the middle with a button for a couple of reasons. It's cute. Also, the center of the weaving is often filled with the most mistakes, since it's the beginning, and by the time we get to the edges, the kiddos are much better weavers. It's a nice way to finish it. I hot glued the weavings to mat board, and had the kids decorate the edges with colored sharpies. It allowed for some element of choice in a pretty regimented project. <br />
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4th Grade- Little more complicated. We looked at a variety of Kandinsky's landscapes from the more realistic to the mostly abstract, discussing how lines and colors can represent a feeling or an object. I played Vivaldi's 4 seasons, and students sketched lines to each seasonal song. From there, students created a circle, and divided it into 4 sections, and each section was to represent a season. I had them use cray-pas to color, and we attempted some blending with baby oil. This was hard. Some had a difficult time with the idea of blending. They wanted to just keep mixing the colors. Others just colored as usual and put oil on top. It proved to be a difficult concept that I'm going to have to keep working on. But, in the end, there were some really great attempts. Abstract was also a hard concept to teach to the students, I acknowledged that our brains naturally want to "file" everything we see into a definite category; we want to know what something is. And, we just kept trying and adapting. <br />
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Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-57484402173890875572014-10-01T18:13:00.001-07:002014-10-01T18:13:12.720-07:00Circle WeavingThanks to the generosity of my supporters at <a href="http://www.donorschoose.org/we-teach/2351559?rf=link-siteshare-2014-05-teacher_account-teacherid_2351559#2351559?rf=page-siteshare-2014-10-teacher_profile-teacher_2351559&active=true&_suid=141221146135809387594028870931" target="_blank">Donors Choose</a> my students were lucky enough to gain a beanbag and comfy pillow set for the carpet area in the art room. Did I mention that my principal was supportive enough of my goal to establish a reading corner/meeting spot that she found the money for the carpet? WOW! I have had a meeting spot for a few years, with foam letters (hard to clean, and a built in distraction for the littles), but it wasn't big enough for my older students, and it wasn't very warm in the winter. Now, there is space for all of my students, even the older ones.<br />
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Anyway, the whole set up happened earlier this week, just in time for my circle weaving project with the 3rd graders. My deal with them has always been that as long as they are working, they can sit whereever they want to weave. This week, the deal was once you show me your first color woven correctly, you may go to the carpet to weave with your friends. The students were very motivated by the beanbag chair and pillows. And, to my surprise, there was not an argument- they settled things among themselves by establishing a line along the pillows. It became the norm for everyone to move down a spot when the person in the beanbag chair got up for more yarn. (I had an arms length rule, so the time was fair). Towards the end, the kids figured out that more than one person could fit on the beanbag, and did a great job sharing. <br />
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Who knew a beanbag chair would bring such unity. And, the weaving is turning out pretty well too- they were very encouraging of each other, and cheering/admiring their friends as the colors grew. <br />
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***I am very very careful about student images on my blog. I almost never use them. In this instance, the students are not looking at the camera, and I tried for some group shots, rather than individual close ups. <br />
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Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-56260527989129725572014-09-25T18:50:00.000-07:002014-09-25T18:50:01.352-07:00Kindergarten Cuteness! "Kandinsky, a Retrospective" is just opening at<a href="http://fristcenter.org/" target="_blank"> The Frist Center for the Visual Arts</a>. In response, the MNPS teachers are introducing a lot of his work to our students, as part of "Artober" a month long celebration of the many artistic things that Nashville has to offer. My Kindergarten crew has been looking at Concentric Circles, and learning about how artists use shapes and colors to create. In their classroom, they are learning about the concept of families. Sooo, I extended that idea to color families, specifically The Primaries, and we used concentric circles to make just about the cutest birds ever. I went to a workshop in preparation for Artober, where the idea of turning a concentric circle into a bird was suggested. I decided to beef it up a little by bringing in the family idea as well as introducing primary colors. I supplied cups and lids to trace, and had cut paper into 6 inch and 3 inch squares, so the students knew they had to trace 3 bigs, and 3 littles. In an effort to offer choices, students were encouraged to combine the circle colors in whatever way they wanted, but I did point out that 2 of the same color would not show up as well. We talked about placement, and how the size of the birds and the way they were grouped might represent family. Another choice offered was feathers. I placed the box of feathers on my supply table, and after talking about how color might represent family members (perhaps even their own), they could choose whatever feathers they wanted (2 per bird). I demonstrated how to snip the corners of scraps to "steal" the triangles, for beaks and feet. Finally, I allowed students to choose their own eyes- whatever sizes, etc. If my high fliers (forgive the pun) had spare time, I had paper available for clouds and sun. <br />
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Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-34390852032728380782014-09-08T18:07:00.001-07:002014-09-08T18:07:40.702-07:00Cityscapes with 1st gradeGreetings all- it's been awhile, but if you are reading this, you probably know how crazy the beginning of a school year can be. The kiddos are amazing this year, but there is so much to do! <br />
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The 1st graders have been exploring architecture; specifically cityscapes and skyscrapers. We began by looking at a variety of city structures such as the Brooklyn Bridge, the Chrysler Building, Willis Tower (in the old days, this was The Sears Tower) and other buildings. We compared and contrasted, and to get a little math in, we used the "Greater Than/Less Than" symbol as we discussed features, sizes, etc. And, we each created our own skyscrapers, which were assembled in the hall to make a giant skyline. <br />
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This project stemmed from that. It's an oldie, but a goodie- the kids think it's just magical. I had the students fold their paper lengthwise and draw a cityscape across the top. They used water soluable cray-pas to color and trace. While I didn't force a lot of small details for this project, I did encourage a variety of buildings. When the students had completed the coloring, sky included, I sprayed their paper with water, they folded, and rubbed. When they opened, it revealed a reflection of their city on the bottom half of the paper. I made this a one day project to assess how we were progressing with the idea of city buildings, but you could extend it in a variety of ways- having students do preliminary drawings, or layer colors, or even be a little pickier about pushing hard and tracing important details. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't know what it is about this one- but I love it in an abstract sorta way. </td></tr>
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Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-70480554277528076742014-07-29T19:52:00.000-07:002014-07-29T19:52:03.370-07:00Another Year beginsI can't believe that summer is winding down already, and it's time to get back to work. In my last post, I talked about some thoughts I had regarding the start of this new year. One being my request to <a href="http://www.donorschoose.org/we-teach/2351559?rf=link-siteshare-2014-05-teacher_account-teacherid_2351559#2351559?rf=page-siteshare-2014-07-teacher_profile-teacher_2351559&supporters=true&_suid=140668813650507740244910609553" target="_blank">Donor's Choose</a> in order to beef up my reading spot, and make it bigger, and more condusive to big and small groups of all ages. It's not completely funded yet, so if you or someone you know is willing or able to help I'd sure appreciate it. In the meantime, I re-organized my books, and sorted them for better access by the kiddos. It's a simple sticker matching system which I hope at least helps the books stay in the right bin. I am still playing with table arrangements, in order to better group my students. <br />
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I am super excited about how the entrance to my room is looking though. Some ideas (like the potato head parts) were from pinterest. <br />
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Finally, about a year ago this time, I was sent a sampling of <a href="http://www.smartfab.com/Homepage" target="_blank">"Smart Fab".</a> I was asked to try it out, and give my thoughts. But, I was returning from Maternity leave, and just didn't get around to it. I used it this year in setting up my bulletin boards for the hallway. So, here goes. I found pros and cons. It is a very lightweight fabric, which cuts and staples easily, and makes for a nice backdrop on a bulletin board. Because it's fabric, you can either stretch it tight, or manipulate it to get some fun movement. It is kind of thin though; since my bulletin boards are still pretty new, and unscarred, this was not an issue for me. In my old classroom, where the boards were older than I, and marked up with markers, staples, and pencil holes, I'm not sure there would have been enough coverage without using multiple layers. The colors are really bright: I'm looking forward to seeing how they hold up over the school year. And I'm curious about using the leftovers from the bulletin boards to weave with. All in all, it's a fun find, which could have a lot of uses in an art room. For that matter, I think it could be a good addition to a simple theater set. <br />
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I think it's going to be a great year, I begin my 18th year this August, and I gotta say, I'm still just as excited to get back and set up as I was the first year. Here's hoping you can say the same. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This board was created with 2 colors of Smart Fab-not completely happy with the draping yet, but that's a me issue, not the Smart Fab</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Found the Horizontal/Vertical idea on Pinterest. </td></tr>
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Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-10361263403012026332014-06-03T17:16:00.000-07:002014-06-03T17:16:45.685-07:00Looking AheadHooo Boy, I made it through another year. This year had challenges because I came back into the school year balancing being a mommy with being a workaholic art teacher. But, it was a good year, filled with fun projects. As I look ahead to next year ( I did say workaholic, right?) there are new things I'd like to try, and some things I already do, that need a little re-vamping.<br />
1-There's a lot of conversation out there about "Choice Based Art Education". Now, I haven't done all the research, and I firmly believe that my role as an elementary teacher is to teach a skill set, which includes a variety of supplies. And, I don't think you can introduce choice without a strong skill set. And, I do try to offer some choices within projects. Not much cookie cutter art going on here. However, my principal is supporting my goal to continue to add choice to my lessons. My classroom is going to have a "demo" table next year, where 4-5 kids can sit and work with me as needed. <br />
2- Grouping. Most of us have the tables broken up into groups of 6-8 kiddos. I noticed this year, with an especially large 2nd grade, that while some kids loved being elbow to elbow with their besties, others needed space. ( I had one artist who would always come up and sit on the floor- he needed the space). So, instead of making my tables into equal groupings, I'm going to explore some combinations in which some groups are not made up of as many tables. so, one group may have 6, and another may be a single 2 seater table. Still gotta look at lay out on that one. <br />
3- I have always had a "meeting spot", where my K and 1 meet up with me, and we intro before we hit the tables. When I move to the new art room, I added bookshelves, and tried for a reading corner. And, it's ok. But, here's the dream- and if you can help, or you know someone who can, I'd love it. I put in my first ever <a href="http://www.donorschoose.org/project/a-reading-corner-in-the-art-room/1238166/?rf=link-siteshare-2014-06-teacher_account-teacher_2351559&challengeid=401233" target="_blank">Donor's Choose request</a>. My ultimate dream would be to have a large carpet, with a couple of bean bags and pillows, and a sturdy shelf to organize the books. I envision a space where we can all meet, but more importantly, where students can generate ideas, read for enjoyment at the end of a project, meet with a small group, etc. And, I think it's important to have it be a warm and inviting comfy place to sprawl. <strong><u> Any donations made in the next 7 days, and using the code 100WOMEN at checkout will get their donation matched up to $100. How cool is that! </u></strong><br />
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Anyway, those are my thoughts for next year. If you are anything like me, you've got some of your own reflections- and I'd love to hear them. Until then, HAPPY SUMMER!Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-32468005987567376812014-05-05T16:35:00.000-07:002014-05-05T16:35:20.580-07:00(Not So) Sweet Dream PieIntroducing narrative art to the 1st grade crew is not always easy. They tend to lean on words to tell their stories, and it's a struggle to get them to draw the action, and leave off the words and arrows (you know, the word tree pointing to the tree in the picture?). I don't know what made me think of trying this method, but it worked very well, and it's going in the "Keeper" file. I read the kids the book "Sweet Dream Pie"; a cute story about a group of neighbors who eat too much sweet pie- and their dreams are not so sweet. We then made 3 lists - a list of characters, or creatures, a list of actions, and a list of places. Students were to pick one from each list, and create a picture- perhaps a giraffe, jumping rope at a birthday party? The crazier the better. This method allowed students to have a concrete thing to draw, but also allowed great freedom of choice. I did lead them in constructing a "pie". It was a good review on cutting/basic craftsmanship and direction following, and it gave my more hesitant artists some comfort. <br />
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Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-37555760662649332122014-04-29T18:58:00.001-07:002014-04-29T18:58:19.073-07:00A Social Studies Tie In<div style="text-align: left;">
I know many art teachers hesitate to tie their art projects to Social Studies or Science, lest we be asked to make paper mache' globes, or solar systems. I however have found a few projects over the years that are much richer in content and quality because I tie them to what the students are doing in their classroom. I don't do this all the time, because I have my own curriculum to cover. When contemplating whether or not a collaboration will work, I consider what materials and content my students are already going to be using in art, regardless of subject matter. I also consider time frame. In this instance, 4th grade students used famous Tennsesseans to create timelines in Social Studies. They already had information, books and knowledge about their person. I was supposed to cover printmaking anyway, so I had each student draw a portrait of their chosen TN personality. We looked at the work of Andy Warhol and discussed his celebrity prints. Each student created several prints (6''squares) from their printing plate (good ole styrofoam) and when dry, selected their best 4 prints, arranging them in a grid. It was a logical tie in, and because the classroom teacher had already assigned the students their person, and the librarian already had pulled the books, I didn't have to worry about having enough information, or settling arguments about subject matter. It worked well. </div>
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Oh, and do you use Artsonia? I do. And, I don't have a fancy iPad or such to use, so I take pictures with my camera, and upload the old fashioned way. I find that the best, and quickest thing to do, is to lay every piece out, walk down the line and take all of the pictures, and walk down the line one more time (same order) to write names and take grades. While the pictures are uploading, I load all the grades into the software program we use in MNPS. So, I kill alotta birds with one stone, and it's not too time consuming this way. </div>
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Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-42620150621979197672014-04-27T12:48:00.000-07:002014-04-27T12:48:24.489-07:00File Folder NeigborhoodsI am lucky, in that I see my kids every 3 days, for an hour at a time. However, the flip side is that there is the potential to go through a lotta art supplies, especially with the Kindergarten crew, who tend to do shorter art projects to begin with. So, how to keep their interest at the end of the school year, and not empty my supply cupboards? File Folders. Huh? I had a bunch of leftovers, that the office was gonna ditch. So, I wrote each student's name on one tab, and came up with this. In MNPS curriculum, Kindergarten is to work on houses this 9 weeks. They drew their own house, and we've been talking about how shapes work together to make things. So, on the bottom of the inside, they used scraps, and created a neighborhood. (3 houses was my requirement, some did more). At the end of art, it was a snap to clean up, and any necessary unglued parts could just be stored with their folder. The next session, we did tissue collage on the top, to be the sky. Then, they could continue working on the neighborhood. Next session, we will finish the sky, by adding birds, bugs, hot air balloons, etc. I am thinkging just having them draw contour line with sharpie. And, my final plan is to have them create themself and their friends on the exterior of the folder. So, there you have it. Cheap, a great review, at least 4 artclasses of work (depending on how you stretch it) and fun, cause to the K's its kind of like a secret, with the picture being inside. I'll let you know how it turns out, but so far, I think I love this idea. <br />
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Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-32584580044368898282014-04-24T18:24:00.004-07:002014-04-27T12:49:49.830-07:00Coil Pots I love the coil pots- or at least I have loved this lesson since learning to have the kiddos press their coils into the inner walls of a terra cotta flower pot. It gives the students the safety net they need to practice a variety of coils, and building. And, mostly, they all turn out. Amazing how some are determined to make this much more difficult than it actually is. All of that aside, it is a fun, colorful lesson just right for spring. (I use Mayco Stroak N Coat glazes, they fire well, are true to color, and come in a variety of great colors. Also, a little goes a long way.)<br />
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In other news, the 4th graders have been weaving. Have you visited <a href="http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2012/06/in-art-room-weaving-part-1.html" target="_blank">Cassie Stephen's blog</a>? Pop on over for a lesson on weaving pouches. I'm a big meanie- I make the kids take their own weavings off- they've been weaving with me since 1st grade, so I feel as if this should be attainable for them. </div>
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Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-80939676965369925122014-04-10T17:16:00.002-07:002014-04-10T17:16:50.695-07:00Stamped/Painted PatternsI gave the K's each a small piece of cardboard which they dipped in black paint, and we talked about finding the side with the bumps (the corrugation). They were to fill their entire paper with patterns. (The previous day, we had drawn patterns both on the smartboard and on their papers, in order to check for understanding). After stamping their patterns, and letting them dry, they used tempera cakes to fill in the spaces. We did talk about color as a pattern, but they were so excited to paint, that they didn't all remember, or have the control to do that. I think the results were great. And, the kiddos got some really rich colors out of the cakes.<br />
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<br />Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-55564981561585409092014-03-16T13:34:00.000-07:002014-03-16T13:34:00.528-07:00School Wide Art Show-2014Here are the pics from our school art show. I managed not only to get one piece of artwork up for each student, but in most cases, 2! <br />
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<br />Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-40543049356480149952014-02-22T19:04:00.002-08:002014-02-22T19:04:45.230-08:00Clay FacadesIt's my favorite 4th grade project. I think I anticipate it more than the kids- the houses. I categorize this as a "Momma project"- those projects that Momma's going to keep, and 15 years later, when you come home with your wife/husband/kids, it'll still be on the mantle to greet you. They are "Facades"- front only, flat, and adorable as a wall hanging. Some, no matter what, will always be so-so, but I get a lot of good results. It is one of the few projects that I break out the glaze for. I use "Mayco Stroke N Coats", which are similar if not the same to the ones used in the "paint your own pottery" places. The colors are great, they are similar enough before firing to after firing that the kids can tell what they are using, and the clear coat is in the color mix already. As long as the kids use 2-3 coats, we get great results. I have a small kiln, but if I am good about controlling the size, I can get a class of 20-25 in one glaze firing. I give each student a piece of paper about the size I want their houses to be, and they use a day to draw their house. I have all sorts of reference pictures. I run them through the copy machine before the next art day, and the kids cut them, and use them as stencils. This cuts down on the square house/triangle roof/tilty chimney/combo that we see too often in the art room. So, with all that said, here are some of the many cool clay houses to come! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes, you just are going to get an average result, no matter how you try to help.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice combo of textures and attached pieces- nice glaze too.</td></tr>
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<br />Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-66100650900336752362014-02-05T17:07:00.000-08:002014-02-05T17:07:46.561-08:00Olympic Action PrintsIt's a messy time in the art room- one of my favorite things is printmaking! The kids love it, and with an organized set up and routine, it does not have to be a crazy mess. Since we've been using The Olympics as a theme in 3rd grade art, after the kids made their statues, I had them make an incised plate on a piece of Styrofoam. I go ahead and buy the trays through the art catalog. They can be pricy, but they work. And to save a bit, I chop 'em in half. When I'm feeling really cheap, I save them after the projects to use as paint trays and such. That aside- each student drew one person, in an olympic pose. Then, we broke out the red, white and blue- except I didn't have as much white as I thought, so we ended up using white paper for those that wanted the Americana effect. Curriculum states in MNPS that the 3rd graders will do a collograph print. And, this is incised. I intend to have them collograph a background image- I've never done a double print project, and I'm not sure how it will turn out, but ya never know until you give it a go. So, here's step one. And, hopefully, the next thing you'll see is a double print posting. <br />
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<br />Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-78522865118639316252014-01-28T18:30:00.001-08:002014-01-28T18:30:24.314-08:00Olympic AthletesI LOVE using the Olympics as a theme in the art room. There are so many connections, the most logical for me being the action- the kids love sports, and it's a great chance to work on those people. The 3rd graders explored the Olympic Website with me, chose a sport, and filled out a think sheet about their choices. Then, I taught them to make "pipe cleaner people". These served as our armature. We covered them in old tape, and put paper mache' on top of that. It was a sticky mess, and some of our athletes needed to be propped up with wooden blocks. But, despite the awkward phase, the paint day today really made them come alive. I had the students attach their athlete sculptures to a wooden block (I have an old bunch of wood building blocks in the art room that I've been itching to recycle) and this allowed all athletes to stand proud. We will transition to printmaking after this- using the students' chosen sport as the subject.<br />
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<br />Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-40317754492089693112014-01-23T17:51:00.002-08:002014-01-23T17:51:52.368-08:00Love/Hate relationship<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am in a love hate relationship with 2 pt perspective- I LOVE that with a certain few rules, any student can find success- that it isn't about the talent, but the willingness to follow a set of directions. I HATE the ongoing fussing at my students over the use/misuse of their rulers/partner-pokers. It's a skill that we are required to teach in 4th grade as part of our MNPS standards, and, over the years, I've learned a few tricks. First, on the opening lesson day, I hand papers and rulers, and we just make cubes-no worrying about it having to look like anything- just practicing. I send the paper home with them that day- no grading/not a test/no pressure. I also send them a xerox copy of one of my drawings so they have all the answers, and I send home a cartoon tutoring sheet. When they come back, we worry about making a city. And, I start off with them, gradually making them do more on their own. I find that there is usually one person at every table who "gets" it quick (usually the math/science student). And, I have learned to relax- not worry as much about perfect and approach this with a sense of humor. Soooo- this year, I required 3 buildings, a few doors/windows, and the sidewalk and street. After that, they could add whatever- some added signs and words, others made ghosts and aliens. Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-6619880127333025442013-12-12T17:38:00.000-08:002013-12-12T17:38:32.871-08:00More SingersI am in love with this project- it was a great chance to review some concepts, and the little singers are so sweet looking. A definite keeper.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you only knew the boy who made this- it is sooooo him. </td></tr>
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<br />Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-80094438554406176802013-12-11T11:30:00.002-08:002013-12-11T11:30:56.565-08:00Winter SingersI was reviewing the concept of near and far (placement and size) with my 1st graders as we did some winter landscapes. It occurred to me that as pretty as the trees were, the pictures were a little... "Blah". So, we created carolers to be in the foreground. It was a cute way to finish up this project, and the kids were really pleased with the results. It allowed us to work in a little direction following and paper sculpture skills- the arms bend out and give a 3-D effect. <br />
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<br />Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3578437215605985427.post-5520657868328090722013-11-24T17:33:00.000-08:002013-11-24T17:33:31.790-08:00Magazine Turkeys and a little MaskMy Kindergarteners are proving a bit needy of some cutting and gluing practice (as well as some basic listening/direction following skills), so I channeled the Turkey Day energy that's been buzzin' for this project. It started with just basic cutting/gluing to create the body, wings, feet and beaks. I had the brown and orange paper pre-cut, and they followed along with me. For the feathers, I pre-sized some magazine pages into manageable pieces. They used those to create feathers. I encouraged ovals, but some got a bit rectangular. The kiddos seemed to really enjoy this project- especially the ones who got cartoon scraps. <br />
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Also, my 3rd Graders have been working on clay masks and I just had to share. Below, one student begins the painting process. (I use acrylic- it's messy danger, but it looks great on clay!) The other is by a boy who clearly loves making masks. It's so rewarding when you finally find the thing that excites a hesitant student! When we paint, I set up paint stations. The kids move their mask to the station, rather than me pouring paint for every table that may or may not be used. I have a student with Autism, and traveling is not in her best interest- I allowed her to stay at her seat with color choices.<br />
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<br />Mrs. Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09988504926515130383noreply@blogger.com0