A House for Hermit

Our 2nd graders read A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle. We learned about how hermit crabs change shells as they out grow them.  Along the way, we met all kinds of creatures from the ocean such as sea anemones, coral, starfish,  lanternfish, snails, and a sea urchin!  We incorporated some of these cool finds into our artwork!  Looking good 2nd grade!  I used this book to help talk about the Great Barrier Reef in Australia since that is our cultural focus area this year!

Learning Goals: I can...
- Explain what a habitat is and give examples
- Describe creatures that live in a coral reef
- Connect art with other subject areas
- Use oil pastels to create a textured look (sand)
- Use materials appropriately 

Blue-Ringed Octopus

Since our elementary districtwide cultural focas area this year is Australia, I couldn't help but introduce classes to some of the unique wildlife found in Australia.  After studying Australian Aboriginal artwork and creating our Kangaroo dot paintings, we dove into the ocean for a closer look at this particularly unique creature! Fourth graders learned about the blue-ringed octopus.

The blue-ringed octopus is found along the southern coast of Australia.  While it is about the size of a golf ball it is one of the most deadly creatures for humans. The poison is produced by bacteria that live in the saliva of the octopus. Unlike other octopus, this octopus has blue rings that light up when it is agitated.   Here is a link if you want to read more!

Learning Goals: I can...
- Tell about the blue-ringed octopus (where is it found and what makes it different?)
- Use good craftsmanship to create smooth edges with paint (keep your paintbrush loaded)
- Show form using paint (add shadows to make it look more 3D)
- Use found objects to print bubbles (marker caps)

Australian Clay Masks

Fifth graders looked at Aboriginal (Native Australian) art and discovered some key characteristics of Australian Art.  We learned about Aboriginal dot paintings and x-ray paintings.  Aborigines use dots to create implied lines and pictures.  X-ray paintings are often found on cave walls. These paintings show both the outside and the inside (bones and internal organs) of the animal at the same time.  Bones are typically symbolized using white lines.  Fifth graders used this information as a guide for their mask making.

Learning Goals: I can...
- Describe major characteristics of Aboriginal Art (dot painting and x-ray painting)
- Describe the process for making a mask using a slab and mold
- Use symmetry to balance color
- Use dot and x-ray painting techniques

Koalas

Did you know a koala is not a bear?  First graders discovered that koalas actually belong to the marsupial family.  This family of animals is special because they have a pouch to help carry their young.  Last time we learned about Australian Art through our "Aboriginal Snake" project (here is a link to the project I borrowed from Jamestown's blog).  For this project, we stayed in Australia to learn about this famous marsupial.

Learning Goals: I can...
- Tell about koalas
- Use layered paint
- Use paint techniques to create texture and smooth lines

Boomerangs

Kindergarteners learned about Australian boomerangs.  Did you know there are two different kinds of boomerangs? The most widely known boomerang is the "V" shaped boomerang. This boomerang is a toy that comes back to you when you throw it (if you are good at it). The "L" shaped boomerang is the more useful boomerang.  This boomerang was used by the Aborigines (Native Australians) for hunting!

We also looked at Aboriginal artwork and noticed that it was created using dots.  We added dotted lines around our boomerangs to remind us of Australian dot painting!

Learning Goals: I can...
- Talk about Australian boomerangs
- Blend watercolor paint
- Create a dot painting
- Use materials appropriately

Australian Lizards

This year our art department's cultural focus area is Australia. Third graders created Australian inspired art.  We looked at Aboriginal (Native Australian) art and discovered some key characteristics of Australian Art.  We learned about Aboriginal dot paintings and x-ray paintings.  Aboriginees use dots to create implied lines and pictures.  X-ray paintings are often found on cave walls. These paintings show both the outside and the inside of the the animal at the same time. We used printmaking techniques to print shapes onto our lizards using neon paint.  We finished our designs with dots using short dowel rods! 

Learning Goals: The learner will...
- describe key characteristics of Aboriginal art
- use x-ray painting concepts
- create a dot painting that emphasizes line
- develop fine motor skills and techniques required for printing shapes

Australian Kangaroos

Fourth graders created Australian inspired art.  We looked at Aboriginal (Native Australian) art and discovered some key characteristics of Australian Art.  We learned about Aboriginal dot paintings and x-ray paintings.  Aborigines use dots to create implied lines and pictures.  X-ray paintings are often found on cave walls. These paintings show both the outside and the inside (bones and internal organs) of the animal at the same time.  We combined these practices with one of Australia's most famous marsupials the kangaroo! 

During work time we read an Aboriginal folktale about how the kangaroo got its pouch as well as non-fiction information about the kangaroo. This was a great project that was a lot of fun!

Learning Goals: The learner will...
- describe key characteristics of Aboriginal art
- create an x-ray painting
- create a color balanced dot painting
- develop fine motor skills and techniques required for painting smooth lines