Kindergarten Line Monsters

Kindergarteners at Georgetown and Bauer have been busy learning about lines in the art room. After reading the book, Lines that Wiggle, by Candace Whitman, they explored all different kinds of lines. Kindergarteners began by drawing lines in the air with their imaginary pencils, then they painted them on paper with black tempera paint. When those lines dried they used watercolor paints to paint color between their lines. The final step was to cut them to look like monsters by adding eyes, (or an eye), mouths, teeth, and other things to make their monsters unique. The Kindergarten artists had so much fun creating their monsters, and they are proud to display them in the school hallways!

This was a great first lesson for Kindergarten. It took a few sessions, but we were able to learn many first skills in the art room. We learned how to use scissors properly by holding our thumbs up and moving the paper, not the scissors. We learned painting correctly by treating the paintbrush like a ballerina and tiptoeing in our paint and dancing across our paper. We also learned how to properly use a glue stick by making the glue peek over the edge and not pop over the edge. Best of all, we were able to learn the routine of painting and cleaning up paint in the art room by starting simple with just one color.

Hudsonville Art Program Kick off!

We are so excited to kick off another great year of art and creativity here in Hudsonville and have been having a blast welcoming back all of our great little artists! We have so many exciting projects planned and look forward to sharing them with our students. Our curriculum is full of experimentation with different materials, learning about historical famous artists (and some contemporary ones), reviewing the art elements and principles of design, and being introduced to our 2015-2016 cultural focus this year: Asian Art!



At Jamestown Elementary, we are kicking off the year with a book called "Only One You!" In addition to great lessons about how we are each unique and about students making good choices, it has some fantastic illustrations!

 

Each student and staff member are working on their contribution to our school-wide mural that is inspired by the book, "Only One You!" It was inspired by this mural:

Learning Goals: 
*Students will review/learn about murals.
*Students will review/learn about the art elements of: line, shape, color, texture, as well as the art principle of pattern.
*Students will work together to assemble the mural.
*Each student will create a unique fish to contribute to the mural.

We look forward to the creativity and unique creations that this year holds!

Bauer Elementary: Very Hungry Kindergarteners...I mean Caterpillars!

Kindergarten artists at Bauer Elementary had a blast with this lesson! This project concluded our Eric Carle artist study and was a big hit, especially because clay was involved! First, we read the classic book The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which the students read along with me. We then drew very large leaves - big enough to feed the hungry caterpillar, of course! Next, students used tempera cakes for painting the leaves. The following class period, students were each given a small amount of pre-colored green model magic clay (I mixed a batch of white clay with green tempera paint ahead of time). One of our learning goals was to create a sphere out of clay. The students had a lot of practice doing this during the lesson! They were given a few pom-poms at each table to use for measuring their spheres. Students lined up each sphere on wax paper and made a final red sphere for the head. The third and final day of this lesson involved cutting out their large leaves, hole punching where the caterpillar "munched," and gluing their caterpillars to their leaves! Small red pipe cleaners for antennae and sticky googly eyes (yes, they exist and are awesome!) added the final touch!

Learning Goals:

I can shape clay into a sphere

I can recognize art by Eric Carle

I can paint with care and use art tools appropriately

**Reminder: See you at the Art Show! Hudsonville City Hall - April 20-28!**

Forest Grove and Bauer Elementary: Kandinsky Music

Wassily Kandinsky was the inspiration for these colorful 4th grade paintings!  In order to learn about Kandinsky we read "The Noisy Paint Box." Wow, this is an awesome book that really gave the kids a better idea of who Kandinsky was.

The kids learned that he was an artist with synesthesia. A condition in the brain where color and sound are connected.  Kandinsky could hear color as music, and see color when listening to music. He is also considered to be the father of abstract art.  We combined the theme of music with an abstract background full of shapes and colors.

First we practiced drawing the instruments on the back of our paper.  Then we turned the instruments into a composition of 3-4 instruments with at least one pair overlapping. 

After drawing final compositions onto the front of their papers, students did a serious study of the color wheel... complete with pre and post test.  In addition to mixing their own colors, students were also asked to connect color mixing with math and fractions!

Here is a sample of the way we approached color mixing with math:

Color mixing is a practical application for fractions.  If you don't use the right proportions of each color you just don't get the exact color that you want!  For instance, when making green, if you use too much blue (a dark, powerful color) it's very hard to add enough yellow (a light, weak color) to create green.  The kids were asked to remember to use two double scoops of the lightest color (4/5) and one tiny dab of the darkest color (1/5).  We used these measurements as guidelines.  The kids also learned the difference between indigo and violet (indigo is mostly blue while violet is closer to red on the color wheel.  When you combine them you get purple).  

Each student mixed their own colors on a color wheel worksheet (painters palette):

Students used popsicle sticks (our makeshift serving spoons) to scoop the primary colors out of the paint trays and onto their mixing worksheets. Then they used their brushes to do all the mixing on the sheet.  This was the first project that I have used this method for, and I loved being able to have ALL the kids in charge of making ALL of their own colors!  Whenever they ran out of a secondary color they had to problem solve to match the original color again! I think this helped the kids learn the color wheel very well. 

We started with only primary colors...

Then the kids added their secondary color mixtures.  The kids tried not to have shapes of a like color touching.  This created even more problems to solve!

This was a project with so many layers of learning and problem solving! It is definitely one I will use in the coming years!

We wrote a simplified version of the learning goals listed below on the back of our art for parents to see what we're learning!

Learning Goals: I can...

- Tell about Kandinsky

- Create and abstract background using regular and irregular shapes

- Create a composition with at least one set of overlapping instruments

- Name the primary and secondary colors

- Use fractions to communicate how to mix primary colors to make secondary colors

- Explain the difference between indigo and violet

- Use good craftsmanship when painting smooth edges and outlines

- Create contrast (as opposed to camouflage) by using different colors in shapes that share a side

Georgetown Elementary: Painting Like Monet

Georgetown first grade artists explored the work of French Impressionist painter Claude Monet.
They listened to stories about Mr. Monet and looked at his photograph.

They practiced being "art critics" and discussed Monet's famous waterlily and sailboat paintings, and realized that Monet liked to paint scenes with water in them.  First graders also learned a big new word: IMPRESSIONISM! They were excited to be able to tell their friends that Monet invented this fancy new way to paint.  After lots of thinking, they decided that an Impressionist artist likes to show the way the sun shines on water, and he paints with lots of brush strokes to show shadows and sunlight.  

 

Monet's Paintings

Our young Impressionist artists created beautiful paintings of the water and sunlight, even capturing the sunlight shining in their trees with little dabs of yellow paint.  They loved making short brushstrokes, painting "Monet Style".  And of course their waterscapes needed a carefully crafted sailboat, including a splash of white oil pastel to show the sail's reflection in the water for the finishing touch!

First Grade Learning Goals:

I can tell two facts about Claude Monet

I can explain to a friend what Impressionism means

I can show sunlight reflecting on water and trees