Raven

Second graders made these awesome raven collages after learning a bit about the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest.  We started by reading the story "Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest."

Then we drew a frame with a raven inside it on both sides of a black paper.  We chose the best side, cut it out and glued it to a colorful paper. From there we layered shapes and colors.  Students were encouraged to have a few shapes that had 3 layers of color.  We worked on designing our frames as we worked.

Learning Goals: I can...

- Tell about the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest

- Tell about totem poles

- Explain the story of the Raven

- Create a collage

- Layer paper to create a more detailed design

- Balance color

We also learned about totem poles because they were so important to the Native Americans in the Pacific North West.  We learned that totem poles help shoe stories and record history.

Irregular Shape Monsters

Kindergarteners learned about more shapes... some of the most important art shapes... irregular (organic) shapes! We talked about the difference between regular and irregular shapes.  Regular shapes are mathematical shapes with specific names such as circles and squares.  These are mostly found in manmade objects. Irregular shapes on the other hand have sides that are far less predictable.  They are often found in nature (organic). Students find that they can't agree on a name for a particular irregular shape instead they are only able to try and describe it. 

First, students chose a neon color to paint their irregular shape body. We painted the sides first with plenty of paint on our brushes so that we could get smooth outlines.  Then we used lawnmower lines to carefully fill in the middle.

After letting the little monster bodies dry we practiced cutting regular shapes for eyes (circles and ovals from squares and rectangles). Though this challenge may seem easy for an adult, it helps students develop conceptual skills (understanding where a corner is and why it needs to go away), fine motor skills (brain to finger tip communication and control) and spacial skills (how much to cut off and where to place the scissors in order to achieve the goal, where to place the shape on the paper).  Art certainly helps develop connectedness in the brain!

We also learned to curl paper around a pencil and zig-zag fold paper for antennas!  These are tricky techniques that are great for developing fine motor skills (small movements with fingers)!  We might have a few brain surgeons here in the future!

Learning Goals: I can...

- Tell the difference between regular and irregular shapes

- Cut out circles and ovals from squares and rectangles by cutting the corners off (conceptual, fine motor and spacial skills)

- Fold paper to create a spiral or zig-zag pattern (conceptual, fine motor and spacial skills)

Molas

Fifth grade students created Molas out of cut paper.  Mola is the spanish word for blouse. Traditionally, these designs are cut out of fabric and sewn together to create beautiful shirts.  These blouses are worn with pride by the Kuna people in Panama (Central America).

Fifth graders discovered how tricky coming up with these designs can be!  Fitting the shapes together accurately is a real brain twister for those who are not accustomed to such tasks.  This was another great art project for stretching the brain in a new way!

First, students painted two papers.  They chose complementary color pairs.  Complementary colors are opposites.  Using opposites helps to create strong contrast.  These colors "pop" when placed next to each other. They make each other look even better (they complement each other).

Complementary Color Pairs: (Opposites)
Red and Green
Orange and Blue
Purple and Yellow

Next, students were asked to draw the outline of an animal on the back of one paper.  (Animals are popular subjects for Molas). Symmetry was encouraged but not required.  The perimeter of the animal was cut out.  This created a stencil from the positive space which was used on the second painted paper. The negative space (scrap paper outside the animal) from the first paper was glued onto black paper.  Students were encouraged to crop this paper down to create a black boarder.

Next, the stencil from the middle of the first paper was traced onto the complementary color and students cut out this second animal smaller than the original stencil.  

Finally, embelishments were added.  The goal was to layer paper with at least three colors.  Students were given extra black scrap paper at this stage to help create the illusion of added negative space (empty space).  They also shared scraps with each other. (Art Teacher Trick: Give each student a 9x12 envelope to keep their scraps in! Have students write their names on the outside of the envelope).

Learning Goals: I can...

- Tell about Molas

- Use positive and negative space to create a mola design

- Tell about complementary colors

- Use layering to create interesting details