Awesome Owls, lesson 2 and a change in plans (life on a cart!)

For our third day of Awesome Owls, first graders made a small owl out of Model Magic.  I got the idea from Pinterest!  I thought it would be a nice way to review and reinforce our theme.  First grade would have the chance to learn about and make sculpture, and we got to discuss real vs. implied texture.

When I packed up my cart, I included navy blue 9 x 12" construction paper, yellow squares, and black strips.  The idea was that students would use the navy blue as their placemat, then use it as the background for a constructed home for their clay owl.  I pictured a black tree silhouette and a yellow moon.  I even thought about how I would teach making the tree... V's and Y's..V's & Y's! I wasn't prepared for when I asked the first graders where their owl would live.  First student said a tree, a second said a nest, then they started getting creative. "A house, like a real house with a TV!" "underground!" "my bedroom!"  "a house IN the tree!"  So, I scrapped my step-by-step boring construction of a tree and moon, and let the kids draw whatever kind of habitat they wanted with pencil.  We traced with Sharpie and colored with regular crayons Had I been in my classroom I would of used color sticks, or construction paper crayons, however the regular crayons gave it a nice dark night feeling.  First graders understood that their owls are most active at night.

Model Magic Pinch Pots in Second Grade

If you need a project that will take 5 minutes, this is it.
I do not have a kiln, or a classroom, but I still try to do additive and subtractive sculpture projects with each of my classes every year.  Model Magic is not a cheap option, but it is clean and easy.
I opened a 1/2lb. package of Model Magic.  Using my teacher scissors, I cut it in half longways, then in half on the short side.  I continued dividing the clay in this way till I had 16 small pieces.  I tossed them in a zip-loc.
Students received a disposable lunch bowl and wrote their name in the bottom.  We discussed the rules of the clay (no throwing, tossing, or pulling apart).  I gave each student a piece to roll into a sphere.

Step-by-step I took them through making a pinch-pot.  Like I said, 5 minutes tops.  They put their little bowl in their lunch tray and we set them to dry.  I came in to their room later in the afternoon and wrote their names on the bottom with Sharpie once they were dried a little.

Week 2, we used patterns and Sharpie and decorated our pots.

Bas-relief, sculptural Family Portraits - with handouts! Age level: Intermediate

Family Portraits

Principle: Unity

Mixed Media

Elements of Space & Form

Plain and simple, this lesson began as a way for me to meet a state goal.  I had to come up with a way for my students to turn a two-dimensional drawing into a three dimensional work of art.  As the lesson developed, however, greater goals were achieved and a more successful work of art was accomplished.

I am always trying to make a connection with my students.  Like most elementary art teachers, I only get to see my students for one small morsel per week. Unlike a classroom teacher trying to get to know only one class, we are trying to get to know several classes.  When you are new to a district, or a student is new, it may take a few semesters before you can forge a meaningful bond with a student.  You also have so many students that finding something in common, or sharing a funny story with each one is hard to do.  This was something that unexpectedly occurred with this project. 

At the beginning of this lesson, we looked at examples of family portraits that are prevalent throughout art history. We explore bas-relief from ancient Greece, to the moody serene depictions of Rembrant’s own family, and to more current translations by Jacob Lawrence.  As a class we discussed the artist’s relationships in the paintings, as well as how they are similar and different to our own.  This opened up the door to sharing about our own families.  I did want to learn more about my students and their lives and families.  I shared about my life and family as well.  They learned about my husband and daughters and dog, and they learned that when I was their age I lived with my mom, brother, and sister because my parents were divorced.  I remembered thinking when I was in school that I was the only kid who had a family like that, so I knew some of my students must of felt that way too.  I didn’t want to draw attention to that, but instead show that I can relate.  The conversations about our families led to a lot of fun anecdotes and art class bonding.

Next, we discussed the principle of design unity before we began our sketch, and how important it is to keep our family members in proportion to one another.  I would draw examples on the board of a gigantic mom next to a puny four year old, or an eleven year old with a giant head next to a dog bigger then them.  We also discussed the element of space and how important our backgrounds are.  Where should our horizon line be? Are the people inside or outside?  Is this a place the family really goes or is it from your imagination?  We brainstormed out loud and drew different combinations.  No one is allowed to draw a straight horizon line with a corner sun, tree with a squirrel hole, and “m” birds.  My class knows that has been drawn way too many times before!  The compositions of family members the students came up with were fantastic.  I have seen all sorts of pets included too from iguanas to goldfish and families spanning several generations. The sketch was very important and we spent a lot of time on it.

When a final sketch was complete and colored, our next problem was to translate that sketch into a mixed media bas-relief sculpture.  The students make their people out of soft air dry clay. We keep the clay in one sausage like piece, and pull the head, arms and legs out of the clay.  This keeps the clay from breaking so easily once it dries.  They paint the pieces and use fabric and yarn scraps to dress their family.  The backgrounds are sturdy pieces of matte board. The students are given free reign over a variety of supplies to complete an environment for their family.  I demonstrate and give ideas on how they could complete the backgrounds, but it is really up to the students to be as creative as possible in how they complete the task and assemble their sculpture.

Another delightful turn of events with this project was the time and effort it took to assemble the sculptures and the creativity the students put forth in their creations.  It made me realize I had been hung up on “meeting goals,” I had forgotten how important the process was.

Objectives

Students will:

• Demonstrate the same idea in 2D and 3D media.
• Create, color, dress, and assemble their family in an imaginative way.
• Do quality work.

Materials

• 9” x 9” white drawing paper
• pencils and erasers,
• extra fine point permanent markers
• colored pencils, markers
• 9” x 9” matte board
• soft air dry clay
• glue
• tempera paints & brushes
• fabric & yarn scraps
• textured paper scraps
• found objects

National Visual Art Standard

Students use different media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas experiences, and stories

Bas-Relief Fish Bowl in Model Magic - Pre K to first grade

Materials

Pencils

Sketch paper

Soft Air Dry Clay (Model Magic)

Modeling tool or Plastic Knife

Watercolor Paint

Brushes

Water cups

Tempera Varnish

Procedure

1.  Discuss creatures that live under the sea.  Together, using basic shapes, draw many sea creatures and fish found in the ocean.  Show photographs and fine art featuring sea creatures and show students examples of sculpture and bas-relief sculpture. 

2.  Each student should receive about 1oz. of soft air dry clay.  Students should quickly rip their chunk in half and roll each chunk into a sphere. Have students take the larger of the 2 spheres and flatten it into a pancake using the ball of their hand.
3.  Using the modeling tool or the plastic knife, students will slice off the top of the pancake to make a fish bowl.
4.  Take the sliced off portion (the top of the circle) and start tearing it into a bunch of small pebbles. Once they have a small pile, they may attach them to the bottom of their “bowl.”  The soft clay will attach without hatch marks, slip, or glue.  Students will just need to press firmly. 

5.  The second sphere will then be flattened into a pancake.  Using the modeling tool or plastic knife they will gently scratch their fish or sea creature on this pancake. If necessary, demonstrate on the board how to draw a simple fish using ovals, triangles, and circles. The students will cut the fish out and reshape it onto the surface of the bowl.  Using the rounded edge of the modeling tool students may add texture to their fish to show scales.  The extra soft clay may be used to add plants or bubbles or more fish!

6. Once fish bowls have air dried, students will stain their fish bowls with watercolor paints.
7. Finally, a coat of tempera varnish to the entire front side of the bowl will make the bowl shine!

see more at:  http://www.artsonia.com/museum/art.asp?id=5541099&exhibit=195682&gallery=y