One-point perspective is always a challenge with fifth grade, so I leave it for the end of the year. Although, perspective happens to be something I love to teach! We do a lot of it together, step by step and we talk a lot about the connections to math. This year we ran into all the events happening at the end of the year so they were rushed with their details They used rulers and sharpies for the lines and they had a choice of mediums for the color. They were able to use markers with water or watercolor crayons. To begin the project we looked at renaissance art to discuss perspective and then they looked at a variety of photographs from places like Venice, New England and Mexico. I chose those places for variety and color. A majority of my students are Hispanic and love to look at the architecture in Mexico. The students make great connections as well. Some even recognize some of the towns in my PowerPoint so we can have great discussions!
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Notan is such a great way for students to demonstrate a balance of positive/negative space. Skill levels can be differentiated so easily with this project. I only see my students 1 day a week for an hour, but I have had the pleasure of teaching many of them for several years. Even with 550 or so students, I know the level of craftsmanship they are each capable of producing. Students may create may make this as detailed as they feel comfortable. We talk about knowing your skill level and then stretching to reach higher. They create a plan first, so we can discuss anything that may need re-working before they make their final project. If I know they are playing it safe with their design, I challenge them to be more creative! I keep coming back to this project because it is highly successful and well as quick, and the students are always wowed by what everyone creates.
Fifth grade learned about the collography printmaking technique. They created a design either realistic or abstract on a piece of cardboard. They used materials with a variety of texture (corrugated cardboard, shelf liner, yarn, burlap, fun foam...). They worked with a partner during printmaking (the printer was the master and the helper was the apprentice and then they switched roles). I had 7 stations set up with different colors of ink and tools. Students chose a color and then worked at that station. We repeated the process for 3 class periods. Each time they mixed a lighter tint and turned their print 90 degrees, placed it on the registration "plate" and printed again. If students were waiting for their turn at a station, they were to work on a "drawing cakes" project. They had a handout showing how to draw cylinders and then added decorating details with marker and colored pencil. This was completely independent work and they had objectives for this project as well. For the most part everyone always knew what they should be doing! This year I had a couple of fifth grade classes that just blew me away with their work ethic and the way they worked to help each other. I was so proud of them. They listened to directions, set off to work, never asked me what they should be doing and had my room spic and span when class was over! One of the collographs was selected for the Student Art Show at the 2018-2019 Illinois Art Education Association Conference! Fifth grade used sharpies and colored pencils to demonstrate space through the use of value and overlapping "ribbons".
Once again I had fifth grade create alebrijes for Hispanic Heritage Month. The students love to build with clay and we do not get to do that often enough. I do not have a kiln so Crayola air dry for us. I have scaffolded basic clay building techniques since first grade, so by fifth they are very good at construction. We rarely have animals that have parts that fall off after drying! They do a great job of scoring, "slipping" (just water) and then using tools to smooth together any joints. They still need to be reminded their sculpture is fragile when it is dry! They love painting their alebrijes...they are usually so focused that it is silent in the room...imagine that!
Fifth grade looked at masks from different cultures of Africa. One of the observations they made was that all the masks were symmetrical so that became one of the objectives. They used tooling foil to create a mask expressive of themselves through using some of the elements of the masks we viewed as well as creating their own symbols. Students added color with sharpies and were given free reign of my craft bin (beads, wire, feathers, chenille stems, gems, raffia...). We reviewed the difference between geometric and organic forms for the base. Students brainstormed what they would like their base to be and then used Crayola air dry clay to make them. They inserted a craft stick to hold their mask. They were then painted with metallic temperas. Students were challenged to consider the construction of their base so that the mask would remain balanced in an upright position. All 100+ masks were displayed throughout our main lobby!
Some of my fourth and fifth grade classes that had time at the end of the year got to make model magic monsters. They love model magic! The only requirement was that they start with a pinch pot for the body. They created all sorts of crazy monsters! They had white model magic and colored it with markers.
Fifth grade finished up a unit on space by learning one-point perspective. They also happened to be learning about outer space in science and language arts. I created a lesson to integrate their classroom learning with their art project. We began by learning how linear perspective began during the Renaissance and discussed some of the art of the period. We then looked at Magritte and how he used space and place unexpected objects next to each other. Students used oil pastel to make their planets. I had photos from NASA of the planets as well as the sun and moon for inspiration. We drew the room together and they were given choice of media to color it. If they had time, they could add something unexpected in their room or in space. They were able to add anything as long as it was school appropriate.
Fifth grade discussed the artwork of Ted Harrison (1926-2015). He was born in England and moved to the Yukon Territory in Canada. He is well known for his colorful landscapes. Students created their own abstract landscapes inspired by the simple shapes and concentric lines of Harrison's work. They were also working on creating tints by mixing their tempera paint. When they were finished painting, they traced over their pencil lines with white oil pastel.
Fifth Grade did some printmaking. They made collographs and mixed tints to add depth to their artwork. Students began by making their 8" x 8" plate out of a variety of textured materials (corrugated cardboard, fun foam, shelf liner, yarn, bubble wrap...). It could be some sort of scene, random shapes, whatever they wanted to create. The first week of printing, students chose their color and moved to that station. I had 7 station set up around the room. Each student ("master printer") had an "apprentice" to work with them. They used a registration plate I created, to set their inked plate (marked with the top) on and then placed their paper on that to print. The apprentice took this to the drying rack while the printer began a second print. Students made 3 prints of their plate and then switched roles. It was fantastic to see the teamwork and how they helped each other remember all the steps they had been shown. The next week students pulled out their 2 best prints for the next step. This left one of original of what their plate looked like. They numbered the back of the remaining prints with a "1" at the top, rotate 90 degrees and mark it "2", rotate 90 degrees again and mark it "3". This day they worked with their "apprentice", mixed a tint of their color and printed with "2" at the top. The third printing on side "3 was done with the lightest tint. The result was an edition of 2 prints where the focus of the art became the texture and depth created with value rather than what the original picture was. These turned out beautiful! Way to go my fabulous fifth graders!
One of my fifth grade classes created Notan artwork this year. We were learning about positive/negative space and balance.
Fifth grade has been focused on the element of art, form. We discussed the reasons a group of people would create masks. We looked at a variety of masks from Africa. We discussed how they were each from different cultures and would have special meaning within that culture. Students compared and contrasted elements they saw in the masks.
Students were also introduced to the ancient art of repoussé. Repoussé means to indent metal. Students combined working with metal to create their own mask. They incorporated some of the general elements they noticed that many of the Afrcan masks contained. Students chose betwee several different techniques to create symmetry in the features on their mask. After working the metal from both sides, students colored their masks with sharpies, and then added additional elements to finish the mask. We discussed how masks might be displayed in a museum. Students created unique bases out of air dry clay, a craft stick and metallic paint to use for displaying their masks. They topped off all their hard work with an artist statement. Students are so proud of their masks and their art has generated lots of interest among the younger students as well as the teachers! Can't wait to get these in our display case! The Zapotec Indians of the southern Mexican State of Oaxaca are known for their folk art wood carvings. The carvings are of imaginary animals (alebrijes). The artists carry branches of a special kind of tree down from the mountains each day to use for their carving. The ideas for the alebrijes come from the imaginations and superstitions of the artists. The alebrijes are usually carved by men, and then painted with bright colors by women.
Fifth grade students made their alebrijes using air dry clay and tempera paint. You should have heard the excitement in the room when students found out they were going to use clay! Well, once again my students exceed my expectations. They have not had much exposure to clay, but they listened, watched and learned with great enthusiasm. Next they painted them with bright colors and patterns. Love them! Finally get to put our new display case to good use! Fifth grade has been busy working on a piece of art showing the element of art, space. They have learned about the many techniques artists use to create this illusion on a 2-dimensional piece of paper. Overlap, size, placement, value, details, shading and linear perspective are all ways we create the illusion of space. Students learned that perspective was developed by the Masters of the Renaissance and has a basis in math. In one-point perspective, parallel lines receding into space appear to go to one vanishing point. (Aligned with ELA Renaissance unit)
I was considering a project I had done my first year with fourth grade, but they struggled with the floating rectangular prisms and rope winding through them. This was their first year of art and I was still figuring out what concepts they could grasp. Our district had dropped elementary art years ago and were bringing it back a grade at a time. I knew I was in trouble, the day I used the word "overlap" in my modeling and it struck me to ask if they knew what that word meant. No one could tell me. I feared the project was doomed and I figured I would chalk it up to a learning experience for me. We got through it, they added spaceships and aliens, and in the end they were quite proud of their accomplishments. I thought this might work much better with my fifth graders who have now had art since third grade, but it lacked the creativity I was looking for. I was searching the internet for some new inspiration for a project and saw this same project with a twist. I decided to go for it... Students brainstormed a theme of anything they would like and were able to use the fifth grade laptop cart to search for images. They sketched images to use in their art. You could have heard a pin drop and this was in the weeks leading up to spring break! They were 120% engaged. I taught them the linear perspective portion of the project and they went to work adding their images. They have been enthusiastic, engaged and eager to get to work! Here are some samples from my first class that finished. My other classes are still hard at work and there are some amazing pieces of art coming down the pike! I can't wait to share all of them! Fifth grade reviewed positive/negative space. They began with comparing and contrasting Japanese and Native American art. Then students learned that Notan is a Japanese art term which refers to the harmonious interplay of light and dark in a composition. They looked at examples of Notan and then created their own.
Students in fifth grade filled the space on their paper with overlapping geometric shapes. They painted with watercolors, using two analogous colors in each new shape to make a tertiary color when they mixed. They learned the wet on wet technique. We connected art and science by using salt to create texture in our paintings.
5th grade studied the Mexican folk art of carved alebrijes from Oaxaca. These imaginary animals are carved from the trees that grow in the mountains, and then painted with bright colors and patterns. The students had the challenge of drawing their animal (amphibian, or bird) to fill the page, and then create pattern with lines and shapes. Once their animal was filled with patterns, they painted color patterns using tempera cakes. They cut out their animals, chose a background which would compliment the animal and attach foam spacers to give their animal a bit of a 3-dimensional illusion. They did a fantastic job with their art!
Fifth grade continued with the theme of "Oh the Places You'll Go" by creating directional signs representing a place they can go through reading. We connected with ELA Common Core Unit on "Playing With Words". Students learned about using type and images to convey a message. They also got creative through "playing with materials"! I shared my big piece of cardboard story with the students. I found this large corrugated cardboard sign in our recycle bin and saved it all summer...I knew there was a project in it somewhere. I would ponder the cardboard every time I added to the recycle. While on vacation at the end of summer, we ran across a pretty cool set of directional signs and I knew immediately how we would use our cardboard!
Aligned with ELA Common Core "Playing With Words" This was a fun end of the year project for my fifth graders. They had some great discussions around Keith Haring's artwork and then worked on making a figure sculpture demonstrating motion. The armature was wire and the students created their person step by step along with me. They thought about what action their figure would be doing and bent the wire to recreate the motion. Students used air dry clay for the base. Some made a base that went along with what the figure was doing and others just created a functional base. Each class then finished off their figure in different ways depending on how much time I had left with them. Some left it as a wire figure on clay, some added paper to give their figure clothing, and one class covered the wire with white model magic. Once the model magic was dry, they painted their figure all one color using fluorescent paint. I did not get many photos...I sent them home with the students as soon as they were finished. The first photo shows what the painted figures looked like (made by students of one of my colleagues). Thanks Mike! I had a couple photos of the "clothed" figures.
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Mrs. Kendell
I was a graphic designer for many years, and then decided to make the leap into art education. I taught elementary art for 8 years. Archives
May 2018
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