Designing 3D Paper Sculptures

                

These line parks are one of my favorite projects I do with 2nd grade.  It's so simple to have strips of paper but the students love it!  We  talk about line direction and quality and i demonstrate how to create some of these in a 3D form. This year we talked more about the Engineering Design Process and discussed how the students had to add supports for balance and brackets to hold pieces without much surface area. They can all describe how you move through the park and get so excited.

These paper sculptures are by 4th and 5th graders.  I got the idea from this website, Pink Stripey Socks. They are inspired by the artist Alexander Calder.  We looked at images of his real sculptures and the students couldn't believe how big they were.  

                             

We had to use our Engineering Design Process here using the concept of symmetry and balancing the paper to stand up.

                         

5th grade OCAF Field Trip

    This is our second year partnering with OCAF , Oconee County Arts Foundation.  They are just down the road from our school! This has given us the opportunities to take quick field trips to see art in the gallery and to visit with artist.  Last week 5th grade went to see a pottery demonstration with a kick wheel and learn more about the science behind clay.  How the creation is a physical change and the firing and glazing is a chemical change.  She also told them about different elements in glazes that create interesting surfaces and colors.

Painting with Kinderarten

    I start the year teaching Kindergarten all about lines. We name them and draw them (curly, wavy, zigzag, broken, spiral...) On the next couple of days we draw caterpillars and decorate with all their new lines. Then we draw and cut out butterflies and decorate these with lines too.  The fun comes when we paint over all of these lines with watercolor. (One whole class period to paint)  I used liquid watercolor this year which is so vibrant.  They love to see the clouds in the caterpillar drawing appear like magic. We also got to talk about the science behind wax resist. 

                                         

First Day of School, The Dot

     It's hard to believe that we've already been in school for almost 6 weeks already!  We had a great start to school and now we've had a little time to run through the schedule and get used to the new 4th and 5th grade rotation, with the introduction of the STEAM Experience!
     This is my 12th year teaching art at CFES and I knew that I wanted to jump in an let the kids begin creating art! I used a Prezi to introduce our Rules to be Motivated, Respectful, and Safe in the art room. Then we read the book The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds.  It's a great story about how scary it is to get started but once you do it can open up a world of ideas.  I've referenced this story a few times already to remind students that they just need to "make a mark and see where it takes them". 
 

                                               

  In 2nd and 3rd grade they did collaborative paintings where the goal was to paint dots and circles and let them grow. (Without scribbling over someone else's art!)

4th and 5th graders decorated designs on circles (thank you frozen pizza) and 1st graders painted in their designs.  I got the idea of hanging them as mobiles from Cassie Stephens blog.