The Little Leaves

Miss Huback and Miss Horkey introduced a project called The Little Leaves, which was based on a book called "The Little Yellow Leaf".  The students used scissors, glue, construction paper, crayons, oil pastels, white paper, 11x11 wax paper, shaving tools and leaves to create this project.  Students were also given the following vocabulary words; warm colors, cool colors, collage, texture, and pattern.  First, the students were read "The Little Yellow Leaf", which started a discussion on colors that were seen.  Students were also shown the texture on leaves and what a collage is.  Next, students were shown how to shave warm colored crayons onto a sheet of folded wax paper.  After they had enough shavings, the students had the teacher iron their folded wax paper sheets so that the crayon inside melted together.  The students then cut different shaped leaves from their wax paper and glued them onto the white sheet of paper in order to create a collage.  Finally, the students were told to add more leaves, in cool colors, to their collage.  Students were also told to add texture to their leaves using the oil pastels.

As an extension activity for this project, students could write a poem about their favorite fall memories.  The teacher could introduce them to different types of poems, and then have the students write a short poem that tells about they memories of fall and leaves.  The poems could be displayed along with the artwork in the classroom.  This extension activity would integrate language arts and art class.

Under Water World Scratch Art

The Under Water Scratch Art project was introduced by Miss Long and Mrs. Stadtler.  The scratch art project was intended for 3rd and 4th grade art students.  To create this project, students needed a half sheet of white paper with an under water animal on it, black scratch paper, and a wood tool.  First, students got to practice on a small sheet of scratch paper in order to understand that they must scratch away the black to see the color underneath.  Next, the students got to choose an underwater animal that they wanted to draw.  I chose an octopus.  I then drew the octopus on a half sheet of white paper.  Once I had exactly what I wanted drawn on my white sheet, I traced that onto the black scratch paper.  Next, I scratched out the octopus and it's background onto the scratch paper.  The teachers stressed adding texture to the scratch art by changing the types of lines used.  When the artwork was completed, the octopus showed up in the background color, red, while the foreground stayed black because it had never been scratched.

An extension activity that could go with this art project would be to introduce different places where animals can live.  Student could learn that specific animals live in climates and places that fit their species.  This lesson on the animal kingdom would integrate art and science.

Birds of a Feather: A Lesson about the Beauty of Diversity

Miss Jerde and Miss Olson taught a lesson intended for sixth-eighth grade students in which paper birds were created.  Before the project began, students watched a video called "For the Birds" which started a conversation on diversity and cliques.  Next, the teachers reviewed the terms 3D Design, Texture and Pattern.  The students were told that they would be using these terms in their artwork.  The class was given the following materials: bird outline on tagboard, yarn, hole punch, pencils, markers, crayons, scissors, glue stick and construction paper.  The students began the project, which was completed following these steps: (1) brainstorm a character for their bird, (2) cut out the shapes from the template, (3) glue the bodies together, (4) punch holes in the bodies and the wings, (5) design the birds body and wings using texture and pattern, (6) glue the wings to the bird's body, (7) insert the tail feather, (8) loop yarn through the punched holes and tie in a knot, and (9) tie all three strings in a knot at the top center, so the bird is able to be hung.  Students were then able to hang their bird as though it were flying in the sky.

An extension activity that could be done is a lesson on diversity between cultures.  Students would learn about different cultures in our area and country and find out that although everyone is different, we are all from the same place.  Students would come to understand diversity better by writing a paper in which they describe diversity in their own way.  They can discuss what diversity they have faced in their lives if any.  This extension activity would combine art, social studies and language arts.

Clay Necklaces

Miss Binger and Mr. Desai introduced an art project in which the class created clay necklaces.  The lesson, which was intended for first grade students, would be used to introduce students to using clay.  The lesson began with the teachers showing the students a PowerPoint that shows different necklaces made out of clay.  The teachers also showed the class the necklaces that they made.  Next, the teachers went through the terms students needed to know in order to work with clay.  Before beginning the project, students will need air dry clay, a dowel, yarn and tempera paint.  The students were shown how to knead their clay and were able to practice that for a short time.  Finally the students made beads from the clay by rolling small pieces of clay into balls or ovals.  Once they had made as many beads as they wanted, the students would then poke a hole through each clay bead with the dowel.  Finally, the students painted the beads with paintbrushes.  Once the beads were dry, the teacher instructed the students to string the beads onto a piece of yarn to make a necklace.

An extension activity that could be done with this project is to find out if any other cultures make beads out of clay.  The teacher could show the students jewelry from ancient and modern cultures and find out if the technique they used to create their  necklaces was the same as any in the past.  Students will be interested in finding out whether or not people have actually done this before.  This project with integrate social studies and art.