Egg Artiste

This is a lesson I did  a while ago with my 5th grade students.  I wanted to repost it because it tis the season.  I think this would be a good book for 6th and maybe 7th grade.  We created a paper egg in the style of an artist.  If you don't know this book... it's worth looking at.

5th grade student were read the book Henri, Egg Artiste by: Marcus Pfister. We talked about how Henri created eggs off from master works such as Van Gogh, Matisse, and Warhol.

Student Thumbnail sketch

We then looked at three artist. This year I choose Roy Lichtensten, Jacob Lawernce and Frida Kalho. The 5th grade student looked at several works of art from each artist. They then created several thumbnail sketches of how they could use the inspiration artwork to decorate an egg.

Project Sample

Students choose a thumbnail to create on a large paper egg. The eggs are created with a tracer and the student draw their image. They then start with large areas and move to the details to when painting. Final step to the work is to add let dry and add the detail with a black marker.

Updated: Short Lesson...

Some kids are done... What do I do?...  I need a quick sub plan... I'm sick as a dog today... Here's an idea.


I was inspired by this Flickr find.

Here is a great site for grid paper.  Who knew this was even out there?  How cool!  (click here)

I will update this post after giving this a try for my self.




UPDATE!!!:


I'm so glad that the creator of this lesson found me.  Maureen wrote me and had a couple of suggestions about presenting this lesson.  

• make single blocks to start with 'til the pupils get the hand of it

• always start with a top surface-have some cubes and cuboids around for them to observe

• get them to self check their drawings by looking for Vertical and diagonal lines only, (no horizontal)

• remind them that diagonal lines bust always pass through a dot, to make them the correct angle.now blogging at www.mrscrosbie.blogspot.com

Maureen 



Thanks Maureen!!  What a help!

Art-O-Motion

How many of us have seen the amazing Art-O-Motion lesson plan from Dick Blick (click here for a link).  Well I finally took it on.  I had all the supplies: spools, wooden dowels, pony beads, pipe cleaners, CD, cord and so on.  I have it all... just had to get enough guts to do it.  

Here it is, and how I addressed it for a class of 35 +.  We did a CD weaving for one of the 'gears', a scratch art reduction drawing, and a Mandala for the last.  Wonderful tutorial on CD weavings by Make it... a Wonderful Life (click here).  For those of you who don't know what scratch art is, please click here.  Finally, I learned a great way to teach Mandala's via this video on YouTube (click here).  

The black boards are plastic sheets that must have been donated before I moved into this room.  I went down to my local shop teacher and asked him to help me drill three holes for the gears, and some holes for the cord.  Sometimes it's very nice to be married to the Tech Ed teacher in your school.  I know he loves having a Honeydew list at home and work too:)

We followed the construction from the video.  I had a table set up with all the supplies and a little note of what they needed.  I had three stations for hot glue guns and I'm happy to report no burns from the day.

The final step was how to display.  I have two works of art taped together at the top to form a 'A' frame.  I have a smaller plastic piece at the bottom to support the 'A' frame.  We placed them out on tables for conferences and asked people to try out the gears.  They were a HIT.  I'm so glad I gave it a try.  I would recommend it to anyone.  

Directions for Magazine Bowls

I have been asked a couple of times with my last post about the 'how to's' of this Magazine Bowl.  This is by no means my idea, I have seen it all over the internet for years.  This is the way I teach this process.  

• I cut several pieces of magazine the same with.  For my students I have several National Geographics.  This way they are all the same size.  Being uniformed is key.

• Fold the page in half once.

• Open the page up from the first fold.  Fold the paper into the center fold on both sides. Then fold it back on it's original fold.  (I know... could I write fold one more time?)

• Anyway, do this several times to several sheets.  I gave the kids one day to do this.  I was also finishing up some other projects at the same time.  This is a project you can do while having another project going on at the same time.  When I have them all like this I ask students to write their name on a name tag that I provide (maybe a uniformed color and shape) and place a rubber band around the pile.

• Start rolling with one sheet.  This is the most difficult task of the whole project.  You MUST get it really tight!!!!

• At the end of the roll use a small amount of tape.  I have used both masking tape and scotch tape.  Both work fine.

• Use another piece of tape for the next coil.  I tape it right where I left off.  This part is important...  ALWAYS tape at the end and a the beginning of every coil.  Students will try to tape all the coils together and wrap them all at once.  This looks like it works until you start pulling it up into a bowl, then it falls apart. 

• Continue with your rolling the coils.  When/if students run out of coils, I ask them to make more. I give the goal of 6 inch diameter.  It really pushes them and about 10% meet this goal.  That is the great thing about this project.  Once can be successful no matter how big the bowl ends up.

• At the end of each day I have them write their name on the outside of the 'puck' (I call it a puck because it reminds me of a hockey puck).

• The last step I didn't take pictures.  Here I am pulling the bowl up.  I had a Mod Podge table where students would paint the outside of their bowls with it.  I was sure to have the table covered because it leaves quite a mess.

Helpful Hints... 

• Students may want to take this home.  Placing the puck and a magazine in a bag was a successful way to do so.
• If the bowls are loose (about 10%) will be.  When glazing the outside of the pot with Mod Podge, simple rest their paper bowls over a ceramic or Styrofoam bowl.  This will give it the support it needs until the glue is dry.
• Please, if you have other hint on how to do this project, write in... Thanks!

8th grade Magazine Bowls

DSC06173.JPG, originally uploaded by nch1979.

We have done magazine bowls in the past but these were the best ever. Students had the goal of wrapping a 6 in bowl. Some met the goal and other's didn't. Most were wrapped really well. These 8th graders were GREAT crafters.

Hidden Hands

I asked my students to draw a pattern from nature.  We made guide lines such as... no straight line, no geometric shapes, there had to be four or more colors, and their could not be any solid white.  The kids did wonderful on their paintings but the real fun was when they painted their hands.  I called this 'mature finger painting'.  Let me tell you, the students loved it!  

I was so inspired by Freckle PhotoBlog!  Be sure to check out her amazing images.

Check out our Flickr account (click here)

Part of Me, Part of You...

What a fun trade!!! Becker Middle School in Becker MN, made these great cards. Mrs. Hare from Art at Becker Middle School met with me a couple of weeks ago and we really wanted to do something fun, and fast as an exchange with our middle schools. We made ATC for one another with a half face on them. We were inspired by an artist named Ben Heine's (click here to see his work). We wanted to have our students interact with each others cards. This is what we came up with...

• Cards were created and exchanged. (Mrs Hare always send her cards in the most fun packaging)
• Students in my class used my computer and the software photobooth. They each estimated the correct perception with the art. Some kids were dead on... other... well I think this take a little practice:)
• Then, the kids got to take home the cards from the exchange.

Students LOVED getting the art. Looking at how others attempted the same lesson. They were showing one another the cards and smiling from ear to ear doing it. It was fun for them to see what the students titled their art work. They loved seeing themselves in the pictures. We had a blast.

Thank you Becker Middle school. Go ahead and check out the images that my kiddo's took with your lovely art work!

Flickr images (click here)

CUPCAKE WARS

A staff can make or break a school.  This is my first year at RMS and let me tell you, this staff 'makes' this school.  Not only are we working to improve our school at all times for the kids, we are also working to create and build on relationships as coworkers.  Here is just one example.  

We have four different lunch shifts at our school.  I was switched to a new lunch this last quarter.  I was a bit sad because the lunch I was eating with are my friends, my support group at a new school.  We are only 4 weeks into the new schedule and I have been welcomed in with open arms to a new lunch.  I learn about my new lunch buddies personalities, hear what they are doing in their classes, and yes, even make cupcakes together.  Apparently this group loves 'friendly' competition so we recently had a CUPCAKE WAR.  What a fun activity.  Lots of amazing cupcakes!  Check out the fun I had with such a great group of people.  

 The winner!!! Leuer Moose!

 2nd Place, Wilsey's Shark

 Barely a 3rd, Hahn's Sheep (my cupcake)

 Honorable Mention, Benting's Bee

 Honorable Mention, Mr. Hahn's Turkey (my husband's Cupcake)

 Honorable Mention, Peterson's Bug cake

Honorable Mention, Mr. Wespetal's Turtle

Update:

Jen comments:  

Every Friday at my school the staff plays volleyball from 2 to 3 (during our hour planning). It is a great way to hang out with each other and let off some steam.

What a great way to bond.  Our district does a simular event where we meet after school hours and play volleyball against the other schools.  We have 9 elementary schools and RES (my old school) was always 2nd place... AHHH!  That  darn Twin Lakes Elementary:)

Phyl comments:

Fabulous cupcakes, but I'm confused - you have time do do this during the school day??

OH no!!!  We decided in our 1/2 hour lunch on Monday that we should do this activities.  We all made these cupcakes outside of school and brought them in on Friday.  That was the 'real' fun... no on had a clue what each other was bringing.