Kindergarten
Mice on Ice and Penguin Pals: Kindergarten students learned about Ed Emberley, author and artist who has created more than 100 children’s books since 1965. After reading this tale students were inspired to create a mixed-media seasonal collage. Using their fingerprints to create their Mice on Ice! Using a variety of hand building techniques Kindergarten students sculpted their own penguin pal.
First Grade
Vincent Van Gogh Sunflowers: Students used Van Gogh’s paintings to learn the difference between portraits, landscapes, and still lifes. Our vases overlap the table, creating space. The flowers are in different stages of maturity and are seen from different points of view. Students used the impasto painting technique and thickly applied their brushstrokes.
Snow Globes: The first graders returned to 3D as winter approached. After we read the book Snow Globe Family by Jane O’Connor, they created a paper snow globe with views of a snow figure and drew on the light from the moon to create shadows and highlights.
Second Grade
Squirrel’s Eye View Snow Figures: Second grade students created these “squirrel eye view” perspective snow figures. Inspired by the book, The First Day of Winter by Denise Fleming.
Charley Harper-Inspired Sparrow and Winter Pine Bough: Charley Harper was a Cincinnati-based American Modernist artist. He was best known for his highly stylized wildlife prints, posters, and book illustrations. Students used a printed technique to create their pine bough and after collaging a Charley Harper inspired sparrow to adorn their pine branch.
Third Grade
The Scream: Third grade students viewed the work of Edvard Munch, The Scream, and looked at how the elements of art often work together. We discussed elements such as figure and ground, pattern, balance, and symmetry. Students drew inspiration from Munch’s The Scream and created their own. In addition, they playfully collaged a photo of themselves into the artwork adding the perfect touch.
Fourth Grade
Starry Night Trees: Fourth grade students learned about artist Vincent van Gogh. As we examined his famous painting, The Starry Night. Taking inspiration from his swirling night sky, students explored layering textural strokes into the silhouette of trees.
Islamic Stained Glass Windows: Fourth grade students looked at a variety of Islamic art and architecture. They each focused on a geometric design capturing the colorful stained glass windows found in many mosques.
Fifth Grade
One-Point Perspective: Fifth grade students designed their own drawings by practicing one and two-point perspective and then using a vanishing-point perspective to create depth. Understanding Renaissance ideals and the era’s respect for classical antiquity, and Renaissance artists’ mastery of vanishing-point perspective.
