Visiting Artist: Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson of Paper Paintings

Her cows are my favorite!

Total awesomeness!  Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson of Paper Paintings came to one of my schools and talked with my fourth graders!!!

Okay, lets back up to before the awesome visit and talk about how we prepared for the event!

A couple of weeks before Mrs. Nelson came I passed out a bunch of pictures (from a calendar) of her work and asked students to look at them - notice them.  We then talked about things they noticed, what the pictures had in common, what was different and even came up with some questions for the artist.



Next we watched this short video:





After the video the kids were pumped and we set off to decorated some collage papers with crayons, tempera paint and watercolor.  I assigned tables a specific color so that we had the correct color combinations when we went to collage later.

The following week we watched a DVD that Mrs. Nelson sent me.  In the DVD she went through her process from beginning to end - making papers, sketching, under painting, and then collaging.  After the video students did their own "sketching" and under painting.  Normally I am against making all the students do the same exact thing, but this time I decided the students needed to focus on the visiting artist along with the collage process - so I decided they would do our school logo.  We have a die-cut of our logo in two sizes, so I made a bunch and let my students pick which size and where to place it on their 6" square pieces of wood.


Back to the amazing visit:

Mrs. Nelson began by talking my students about her love of art, her journey to where she is now with art, and specific techniques to her collage style - and maybe most importantly she explained that making art is her job, she gets paid to make art! After her powerpoint she demonstrated how she works - she impressed the kids with her ability to work on her artwork on planes, in doctor offices and anywhere she can sit for a few minutes! The students "ooo-ed" "aww-ed" and whispered "this is awesome" "so cool" "best day of art ever"!

So, after Mrs. Nelson demonstrated how to directional rip, placing glue UNDER and OVER each piece, correct mistakes, and all sorts of other tips and strategies - we passed out glue, paint brushes, collage papers and their block of wood.

The students TOOK OFF! It was AMAZING to watch them work.  They totally understood and went for it.  Some students used too much glue, others too little - but everyone learned by trial and error and their projects look amazing.  When we had to clean up all I heard were complaints and moans - which is always a good sign.

I think one of the best things about the day was how much my students loved her right from the beginning.  They brought paper for autographs and gave hugs left and right.  Hopefully Mrs. Nelson had a great day just like my students and I did.

First Adventures with kiddos in CI and EI Classrooms

This is the first time that I have ever had self contained CI and EI groups of kiddos.  All students I have ever had up to this point have been integration for art class.  So needless to say I a total newbie at what I should be doing, how to structure projects and even how to manage the energy.

My very first project with them went something like this:

I cut clear contact paper 12x18 sections.  I then took black construction paper, placed the smooth side of the contact paper on the black, then peeled off the backing - taped down the edges to the table.  I did this so that the students knew where the contact paper was easily and I taped it down so that it wouldn't fold in on itself when the students stuck themselves/paper to the sticky side.  (I did learn to tape down ALL sides really well when doing this -- I only did the short sides and it wasn't enough for many sensory energetic students).  For one of my students who is vision impaired I taped sand paper around the edge of their paper - and for another student in a wheel chair I taped their paper to a giant clipboard.  I want to be as adaptive as possible from the beginning.

Next I prepared buckets with chunks of tissue paper.  When students arrived I asked to see their muscles and asked them if they were strong enough to tear paper!!  They then tore paper into small pieces and stuck it to their contact paper.  This was fun to watch as some students didn't rip, others did, and then there were some that just want to stick their hands to the contact over and over.  It was interesting to watch their different sensory levels.

After students were done with the tissue paper - I prepared another area with white construction paper the same size as the contact paper.  Here I provided students with DARK colored markers and asked them to free draw me a picture.  Some students drew their families in a recognizable format - others scribbled their pictures - but had plenty to say.

When students were done drawing we stuck their drawings to their tissue paper contact paper.  The tissue magically colored their drawings -- students LOVED their creations.  I wanted to hang them in the hall but they all were far too attached to let me keep them.  I made sure to snap a few pictures before they took their creations home.

I did this with both of my groups and while the higher skilled students succeed in this projects - and my lower group struggled a little.  I had two kids in the other group try and eat the tissue paper, one just sat and stared at me, and one laid on the floor all class.

Needless to say it will be a new adventure for me teaching kiddos in the CI and EI rooms.  I am excited for the challenge as I am sure some of my lessons/activities will be amazing and others will fail miserably.  I will post about both throughout the year.

First Project

This student went to Germany and Austria!

I have tried multiple types of 'first projects' over the year - names, portraits, just jumping into projects and others.....

I *think* I may have found a solution - a project I really love for the first day of art class.

This is the 3rd year at these two schools and I really do love all my kids - so much that it bothers me I can't talk with each and everyone about how awesome their summers were.  Which inspired this years first art project - well that and pinterest.

This student went to a water park (I love how he started off the page)

I found this awesome project on pinterest, and while the page is in German - the pictures explain enough.  Each student gets a square piece of paper with a quarter circle on it, they then decorate it and when assembled together the quarter circles form a large circle.

I used the pinterest idea and made my squares with a quarter circle on them.  Then in class I spent 5-10 minutes calling on kids and having them tell me something about their summers.  I wrote it down on a LARGE word web on the board.  It was fun to see what states they went to, what water/amusement parks and all sorts of other cool things.

I then explained that I was going to give them a square with a quarter circle.  I asked them to rotate their paper till the arch would work with their assignment.  Their goals were 1) FILL the space  2) Use pictures that represent their summer  3) use colors that make sense.  The catch is that they needed to USE the arch in their picture and not just draw over it.  They also only had that one first class to finish it - which turned out to be anywhere from 10-20 minutes.  I encouraged them to either pick one totally awesome thing to draw or combine as many things as they wanted!!!

The braces this student got over the summer is the sun!

This project was totally awesome!  Not only did I hear highlights from my kiddo's summers, then get to hear even more while I walked around - but ALL kids succeeded in their very first art project.  There was no, 'I can't do this' 'this is stupid' blah blah blah.  All the kids were excited to draw about their summer.  It also provided me with a quick glimpse on abilities of my new students, how attitudes have changed over the summer, and the work habits of the students.

At the end of class I made sure to have students write their name and teacher on the back - then I put them on a bulletin board.  I love that there is already artwork up in the halls, and MANY teachers stopped to look and express their happiness of having artwork up as well!!!

Top Left: A baseball game  Top Right: One of those scary funnel water rides and camping.  Bottom Left: Plane rides and amusement parks.  Bottom Right: The Zoo and Mackinaw Bridge.

Go. Be Awesome.

I have spent the last few days in my classroom(s) preparing for the new year!  I am super excited about a few small changes to the art room.

1) STOOLS!!!!!! Okay so maybe I am a little too excited about this purchase (shout out to all you awesome parents who purchased their kids artwork from our Young Masters program last year!).  My room at my home school is pretty small and once it is filled with 28 kids - some sitting, some standing.... Basically the chairs stick out and we all end up high-stepping over them - or tripping.  The stools can be pushed UNDER the tables when kids stand!  YAY STOOLS!

2) Go.  Be Awesome.      Enough said.       Okay, I will explain.  My awesome friend, Lisa, who I have known since 5th grade (she teaches in North Dakota - middle school - bless her) inspired this little diddy above my door.  Years ago we were visiting and she pulled out her laptop to check something and in the corner there was a small label that simply said "live with purpose".  I can't remember if I asked her about it or not - but it stuck with me.  A small little reminder in a location you always pass - a reminder to live with purpose.  I decided to transfer this to my classroom with a little more pizazz and a little less philosophy.  Go.  Be awesome.

3) A new layout.  I had never thought about putting my tables like this, but when the custodians put back my room after the most amazing wax job, they put it back like this.  I love how much extra room there is to move around - more room at the sinks, more floor working space.  The cons if this arrangement might be that kids are too close and end up in each others space or are too close to their  goofy friends.  I am going to test it out and see where it goes.

4) (there is no picture for this).  Today at our District wide kick off assembly our superintendent was recapping positive things from last year..... improved test scores by so much percent, awards to awesome teachers and staff, number one art Ed blog..... Wait.... What?  Yup!  My blog ended up on the highlights roll from last year.  I was surprised.  It was pretty awesome.  

 

A New Beginning

It's that time of year, summer is done, but not quite over.  There are still a few days left to enjoy afternoon naps on the couch or by the pool on sunny days.

This is the time of year where I get excited and nervous.  This fall will start my 6th year of teaching and while I don't pretend to have this job anywhere near mastered, it also feels kind of silly that I get so anxious.  I start to have dreams where I show up and have no idea what I am doing, that the kids are out of control and they won't listen to me - that I miss the first day of school because I have it written down wrong.  None of these things have ever happened, but clearly they are things I fear - perhaps all teachers have these thoughts/feelings.

While these things run through my subconscious, my excitement grows as I put my room back together after the summer deep cleaning, and plan lessons.  

As I start to plan the beginning of the year lessons, I remember and realize that my kinders will need to be taught how to put caps on markers, how to use scissors (including what scissors are allowed to cut), and so many other things we forget we learned at some point.  Kinders at the beginning of the year are a lot like a pack of energetic puppies - they love school, have no personal space, and totally out number you.  The older kids are a bit easier to plan for as they can hit the ground running since this is our 3rd year together - but new seating charts, new classes of kids, and a new art room set up will require some instructions.

Actually, if I am to be frank - while I love the start of the school year with the new beginnings and  seeing how much the students have grown emotionally, mentally and physically - I DESPISE the first 3 or so weeks of school.  It's a lot of rules, procedures, reminders, practice and enforcing it all.  I prefer when we all get in a groove and the kids have tested all (most) of the rules, we have established expectations and we can get on with art.   The first few weeks can be exhausting and tedious, but are totally worth it for a smoother year!

Keep posted to Organized Chaos for a year of projects, stories, and pictures.

Arts Education

An art educator friend of mine pinned the following video on Pinterest and I can't quit watching.

It is short.  It is powerful.

Watch.  Digest.  Support.





At one of my buildings we will have a new Principal in the fall.  I was lucky enough to meet and go through a conference/workshop with him and a few others from my building.  Something he said struck me, "We are educating kids for jobs that don't even exist yet."  While I have heard this before, for some reason it stuck with me when he said it.  Perhaps it was because my mind was exploding from all the Making Thinking Visual learning I was doing - but yes!  Yes!  We are educating kids for jobs that don't yet exist.

So yes - "normal" things are needed - reading, writing, math, history, science and so forth.  It is all needed and important.  I am a huge advocator of well rounded educations - I choose a liberal arts college (Go Norse!)  Anyhow, I strongly feel that while we need to teach the basics of these subjects and encourage kids to grow further and further - I also feel that we are desperately missing a huge section of education.  Where is the education on helping kids learn how to think, how to problem solve, work together, try again and again when something doesn't work out right?  This is where Making Thinking Visual and Arts education need to be emphasized and encouraged.

While kids need concrete quantifiable skills for the real world - they also need things like perseverance, problem solving, critical thinking, the ability to work productively in a group - giving and taking constructive criticism.  Students need to know how to write and speak, but they also need to be able to have innovative ideas.

Kids need an education system that is aimed at giving kids skills they can use to adapt to the work environment.  Jobs today are not what they were 20 or even 40 years ago -- the same goes for the future.  Kids need an education system that provides them with the opportunity to think and to reason - not to memorize and report (while there is some basic need for this, as some skills need to be mastered - it can't all be feeling and thinking).

I honestly believe that an arts based or arts integrated education is the way to get this accomplished.  Is it the only way - probably not, but I feel it is the most natural and non-forced way to achieve this.  One of my schools is arts integration - we don't plan connections, but rather provide opportunities for connections.  Students and teachers make organic connections between disciplines which then provides for a wider and deeper understanding of subjects - which often leads to other connections and deeper questions.  It is a beautiful thing.

Making Thinking Visual - Cultures of Thinking

So I have been attending a workshop called "Cultures of Thinking".  It is with Mark Church and based out of the idea of "Making Thinking Visual".  

My brain has been squeezed and expanded on many levels. The workshop started out not as I had expected, but in turn have found it to be what I need. 

I have always had this fascination about how art provides kids with a chance to problem solve and critically think- however I never thought about all the other opportunities to enhance students thinking and learning. 

It's all about providing time and opportunities for kids to think - actually think, reason and explain why and how they are thinking that. It is hard to really explain, because it is not a concrete thing, but rather an organic action that ebbs and flows based on the kids and their responses. 

Our discussions have been deep, confusing, enlightening and amazing.  Our readings have echoed our conversations - my favorite part so far is: "Instead of covering the curriculum and judging our success by how much content we get through, we must learn to identify the key ideas and concepts with which we want our students to engage, struggle, question, explore and ultimately build understanding.  Our goal must be to make the big ideas of the curriculum accessible and engaging while honoring their complexity, beauty, and power in the process." Making Thinking Visual - pg 26

AMAZING!  This is always what I struggle with - thinking time versus curriculum in the 50 min I have once a week.  I would love to have my normal 50 min and then 25 minutes or so later in the week for a humanities class where we could devote time to history, connections, all sorts of awesomeness.  Realistically, I will somehow need to balance and thinking and product. 

I am excited to explore this - I will succeed in some lessons and fail in others. Together my students and I will make new connections, learn to think, learn to truly listen - we will think to learn. 

It will be a brave new world one lesson at a time. 

Last Day

It's already and finally the last day of school.

As I type this - both my classrooms are packed up for the summer.  Posters are down, boxes are stacked, bookshelves are covered, and that pile of crap that I have meant to 'put away' since sometime in October has finally been taken care of. 

::sigh::

My rooms feel so empty, so foreign -- it's like cleaning out your dorm room and realizing that it was never really yours to begin with.

There are so many things we did this year - so many great memories.  At the same time I feel like there is so much that I didn't accomplish, so many projects and ideas that are still on the 'inspiration/to do lists'.  (Never fear, most of them are pinned ;))

Good bye classrooms.  I shall see you soon -  I shall be excited, ready, and my patience restored! 

ArtShow2013

ArtShow2013 was a huge success!

I don't even know where to start.

I like to have students pick their best work from the year to display at art show - but I don't have the room to keep portfolios for 500 or so kids and I don't like keep artwork instead of sending it home.  So, what I do is this:  When we have completed two projects I have the kids pick which one they did better on and send the other home.  We do this all year so that we always have something picked out for art show, but artwork also goes home. Often times students pick artwork that I don't feel is their best work - and if I ask them why they pick it, their choice is clear.  Students that pick a project that has an end product that is less than their best often pick those because of the process - which is just as important.

I love doing it this way because it creates a great variety of work for ArtShow - giving both parents and I a year review of what has been happening in the art room. 

When we get about a month out from art show we start finalizing projects, signing labels, double and triple checking class lists.  It takes about a month to gather all the projects because kids are sick, at Dr. appointments, on vacation, and any other reason for missing art.

Once projects are finalized I added signed labels and QR codes to each and every project.

Yes QR codes on each project.  Why? Other than because I'm crazy - I am always trying to advocate for my program, reaching out to parents in anyway possible.  Each QR code leads parents to this blog, and specifically to the blog post about that particular project.  I could have made it easier and put the same generic QR code on each project, but that seemed pointless.  My goal was, and is, to communicate to parents about the lessons behind the projects - so to make it easy on them each QR code was specialized.

QR codes are EASY to make.  Goggle "QR code generator" and you'll get LOTS of hits and websites to make the codes for free.  Put in your desired URL (or other info), generate the QR code, download - simple!

Now, I tried to make this as easy as possible on myself and opened Microsoft Word, downloaded a return address label template, imported the QR code - copy and pasted putting two QR codes on each label.  I did this for either a full sheet or half a sheet depending on how many I thought I would need.

Then I sat on the floor in my house, cut and stuck QR codes to each corresponding project.  My cat Phineas was so helpful in this process!

The day arrived to set up ArtShow2013.  This year I got to be in the Cafetorium, because 2nd grade production was done earlier in the year.  I LOVED being in the Cafetorium.  I had WAY more room.  I spent the day putting up grids, clipping artwork, setting out clay pieces on their own labels.

It looked AWESOME.

After everything was set out I then needed to set up my light graffiti booth and my stop motion animation area.  I asked two teachers with teenage daughters if they would be willing to volunteer sometime to art show.  They both agreed and I was thrilled!  I had one daughter on the stage, in the dark with an iPad, flashlights, ghost light, and an iPad app called, "Slow Shutter".  Here families could make light graffiti together.  When I told students there was light graffiti on the stage - their eyes got wide and immediately they were dragging their families to the stage.  I used this app instead of a camera because it allowed families to e-mail themselves the photo right after it was made.  This way I didn't have to try and figure out which went with what family.

I also had a table in the corner set up with Stop Motion animation.  Students were introduced to it the week of ArtShow and were eager to share with their parents how it worked.  Families worked together through out the night to create the video below. 

Kindergarten People

Every year with kinders I use drawing people as my way to see how the kids are progressing.

The 2nd or 3rd project in the year I have students draw the best people they can without any pre-teaching.  I use this to see if they are at a scribble stage, cookie people stage..... etc.  The next class I ask the students to color in their people - I look to see who selects colors, who colors in, who colors over, who sticks with one color crayon.... etc.


Then midway through the year we draw people again.  This time I ask them to draw people with their heads at the top of their paper and toes at the bottom.  We do an example drawing where students help me fill in eyes, nose, hair, ears, mouth, fingers.... on and on.  The students do another drawing and color the next class.  I specifically ask students to pick colors on purpose and to color IN their picture instead of over.  At this point most students have graduated past cookie people and have full bodies -- and most will color IN their picture, but many still pick random colors.


At the end of the year we read "Giraffes Can't Dance" and talk about how they know the animals in the pictures are dancing since the pictures don't move.  It is really interesting to listen to kids try and explain what they see.  After the book we have our own freeze dance party!!!  I play different types of music and the kids dance around - when the music pauses so do the kids.  I have them look around at how they are standing -- bent arms, bent legs, tilted heads....

Then I have the students draw people again - I ask them to draw at least one arm and one leg to be bent.      Next class, just like before, students color IN with colors that make sense.

At this point in the year I am looking for better motor control, the ability to use their favorite color on shirts/pants/shoes instead of faces and hair.

1-5th Grades -- Stop Motion Animation (Week 1)

I have always wanted to do a stop motion animation project with students but was overwhelmed the the amount of equipment I would need -- cameras, tripods, computers, computer software, a computer lab.... times however many groups I would have.

Then came iPads and iPad apps.  Sometime during the summer or fall I found an app called 'Stop Motion'.  It's a .99 cent app that is super user friendly that creates stop motion animation -- you can do all sorts of things directly in this app to have a full video of awesomeness.

Now that I found the app I just needed enough iPads - which was almost as overwhelming as needing ALL the extra equipment.  Lucky for me our building purchased a few iPads for teacher/student use.  I claimed the iPads for two weeks in May to try out stop motion animation!

I waited.  I planned.

May came and suddenly it was time to load up the iPads with Stop Motion and pray to the art teaching gods that my lesson plan would work.

The week before I drew out some backgrounds on some old file folders and asked students to color them when they were finished with work.

I also took some GIANT white paper, an iPad, and a ruler to grid out the sight lines of the camera.  I had students color this grey.  

The day came to put all my planning to the test - about 20 minutes before my first class walked in I tried to download the .99 app only to find no way to purchase the app and download it on each iPad.  (rightfully so, the school ipads did not come with a credit card on file).  I started to panic.  Would I really need to buy 10.00 gift cards for each one for a 99 cent app?!!?  Then I got smart.  I gifted Stop Motion to myself 4 times and redeemed them on each ipad.  WHEW.  That was close.




How I set it up:
3-5 kids in a group depending on how many students are in class (I had 6 stations)
1 Large white paper with grey trapizoid
1 background
1 iPad loaded with Stop Motion
Pattern blocks
1 ruler to angle iPad

I explained how the app worked, their job, how to rotate through being the director, and stressed as much as I could to NOT MOVE THE IPAD OR THE BACKGROUND.


One student is the Director at a time.  The director's job is to make sure all body parts are out of the shot- take the picture - then tell group to move pieces.  I set a timer for 2 or 3 minutes (depending on group size).  When the timer goes off directors change.  The director doesn't get to boss around what the movers do - their only job is to clear the picture of body parts and take the picture.  The group works together to make ONE long video - the video DOES NOT change when the director does.

The lesson worked even better than I expected.  The kids used the app with little help or instruction.  I did find that the older students did a better job being patient and moving pieces a little at a time - the younger kids seemed to get excited and make larger movements between pictures.

Towards the end of class I have groups clean up their stations while I collect their iPads and turn on the projector.  When everyone is cleaned up we watch their movies on the digital projector.  (All you need is an adapter that goes from your iPad to VGA cable for the projector).

Overall the lesson was a complete success - I have parents e-mailing asking what app it is, students are begging to do it again next time (which I already have planned!)

2nd Grade -- Jasper John meets Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Back, way back in the year right around Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. day I had 2nd graders combine the positive ideas of Dr. King with the amazing paintings of the Jasper Johns.

We started of by watching part of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech.


Next, we brainstormed words that were positive.

Students then picked a word and wrote it in thick bubble letters on a piece of paper.  The thicker the bubble letters the better, if the letters are too skinny it will be hard to read.

The next class we looked at paintings by Jasper John and I asked them, "How can we see his numbers even though his paintings are messy and he doesn't outline?"  It took kids a while to figure out how to explain what they were seeing.  Once students voiced the idea that he used different colors on the edges - so the inside edge might be yellow but the outside is blue.

Jasper Johns

I passed out primary colors with white and showed students how to freely paint by double or triple dipping their paint brush.  I tried to stress that they needed to make the background different than their letter so we could read them.

Honestly, this lesson didn't turn out exactly how I had planned - but students LOVED it.  They really got into making different colors and painting making it hard to read many of their words.  Even though the end product wasn't exactly what I had envisioned, the project taught more than I expected.

2nd Grade -- Fall Collage Scenes

3rd and 4th Grade -- CD weavings

Last year at the end of the year our building Tech came to me with a box of CD's asking if I could use them.

SURE! I said.

Fast forward to this year and suddenly CD weavings are popping up everywhere - Pinterest, other art teachers in my district, blogs.  I decided to jump on the band wagon and give it a try!

I started kids out with a CD, or rather their LOOM.  Next, I gave them a piece of warp thread - it was my wingspan,  about 5 ft.  Students put the warp thread through the middle of the loom and tied a TIGHT square knot on the back.  Next, students wrapped the remaining thread through the middle, then around the outside edge, until they ran out of thread.  Then, students counted how many strings they had on the front - they needed to have an ODD number (most had 11 or 13, a few 9).

IMPORTANT: The tighter the warp thread is on the loom the easier it will be to weave.

Next class I showed students how to measure a piece of yarn using their arms as a measuring stick - finger tips to shoulder, then how to thread the yarn on a tapestry needle. (HINT: my mom taught me this-- don't use the end of the string, instead make a little loop, pinch the top of the loop to make a bump, put the eye of the needle on the bump, wiggle the bump a little and it will slide right into the eye!).  Do not tie on the needle.  Students learn quickly to pull the thread not the needle when pulling weft thread tight.

Students then pick a spot on their warp thread, put the needle under, over, under, PULL - pull till the end of the string almost goes under that first warp thread.  Hold down the end of the weft thread while you continue with the needle all the way around - over, under, over, under.... when you get back to the beginning the weft string will overlap the end and hold it in place.  Weave till you run out of string.  When the string runs out - end it on an 'under' movement.  Measure new string, start where the last string ended and keep going!  (video to come)

The first couple of strings were the most thought provoking for the students - but after that they CRUISED!  In fact students would beg to take them home to work on them and would exclaim with excitement when they would return to finish them!

To be done students could either weave to the very edge or stop about an inch short and color with Sharpies.

I will totally do these again!

***NOTES***
- Make warp thread TIGHT.
- Make sure there are an odd number of warp threads.
- Make students thread their own needles.
- Don't let students tie on their needles (unless absolutely needed)

4th Grade - I Am Poems

I originally saw this project either on Pinterest or a blog.... I can't remember anymore.  The original post was with a 1st grade class where the kids painted the background, a candid picture was taken, and a sentence was added.  I LOVED the personality of these and decided to make it a little harder.  In my old district the 3rd graders created these fantastic poems based off the book "I am America" that I decided would be PERFECT for my project.

So, the first day I had students watercolor their paper using liquid watercolors and salt.  I asked that they do abstract paintings - using only lines and shapes, no smiley faces, no Michigan S, no suns, no hearts (I realize hearts are a shape), and so on.  The students were so intrigued by what the salt did to their paintings that they didn't even think about adding cute-sy images.

Day two I had the kids write down 15 things about themselves on a piece of paper - I gave them 10 minutes to do this.  I asked them to write a word or two for each thing, no sentences.  (Have you ever watched a 4th grader compose a sentence?!? oh boy.)

Next I read them "I am America".

After we talked about patterns in the book - how it was worded.  Does it make sense to say, "I am blue jeans?"  -- What does that mean?  Does it actually mean the person is made of blue jeans?!  We discuss and when I felt like the kids got it I introduced the next part.

On the back of their paper students write 10 sentences combining their ideas about themselves and the wording from "I am America".  So, for example if I wrote, "green" on the front, on the back I might right, "I am bright green fresh cut grass."  Or if I wrote, "cheese pizza" on the front, on the back I might right, "I am gooey hot cheese pizza".

My goal was to get students to stretch their sentences to be more than "I like pizza".  Most students enjoyed coming up with words like, dazzling  shimmering, bold, loud, awesome... etc.

The next time I saw students I booked the computer lab and I had students type their 10 sentences.  I figured this would take 15-20 minutes.. BOY WAS I WRONG!!  Have you ever watched 4th graders type?!?!?!  WoW.  It took them a full 50 minutes and even then some were finishing up.

I had students type all 10 sentences first, THEN if they had time students were allowed to go back and change fonts, colors, and sizes of their text.  We printed them out and kept them till next class.

The very last day of this project I printed out pictures I took of them, handed them their poem and asked them to cut neatly!  Then they arranged their poem AND their picture to make a unique composition.  Last but not least - it all got glued down.

These are breathtaking to look at.  The contrast between the bright background and their black and white pictures are perfect.

This project took many classes to do, but the end product was well worth it.

**NOTE** To protect images of my students the pictures presented are cropped and do not show full project.

Principal Fires Security Detail to Higher Arts Teachers

If I could embed this video/story I TOTALLY would.  If you have been following Organized Chaos over the years, I am pretty passionate about the important of the Arts - that the Arts are a fundamental part of humanity.  I feel as though I am always trying to convince and prove that what I do is more than cutting and gluing.  Here is another real world story where the ARTS are saving students, where people are finding themselves and their futures in ARTS education.

CHECK OUT THE AWESOMENESS!

Principal Fires Security to Higher Arts Teachers

Paper Weavings (k,1,3,4)

Weaving was one of the classes in college that made me realize that I wanted to be an art teacher.

Weird, right?


Weaving was the first class where everything made sense.  It was the first class I had ever had that I didn't struggle to understand processes, concepts, or anything else.  In my entire school career it was the first class I had where I felt smart.  I have some learning disabilities that make retaining oral information difficult for me - so most classes are tough and lectures were a nightmare.  Weaving was the first class where everything was explained with examples and showing/doing it -- it totally made sense to me.  It was in my weaving class where I realized that other kids who learn just like me are actually smart and they need a space to feel smart - where it doesn't matter if letters move, or you can't read fast, or if numbers just don't make sense.   Art is for everyone, but especially for those kids who aren't 'smart' based on their state test scores.

I could go on -- but back to our weavings.

So, for as much as I LOVE weaving - I have never woven with students.  The idea seemed overwhelming to me.  I struggled with how to organize the materials and be available to help students as they had questions and needed assessment.

At last I decided to jump in and see how it went.

It went WAY BETTER than I expected.

Kids are born weavers.

Kids that I expected to struggle with weaving because the struggled with other art skills -- SOARED and kids that I expected to breeze through it struggled a bit.  Why?  I am not completely sure.  I think it has something to do with the combination of fine motor skills, ability to recognize patterns, willingness to correct mistakes, and other crazy brain functions I can only pretend to know about.

For the Kinders and 1st grade kids I made very simple looms.  I provided students with their "warp thread" precut and attached at the top.  I gave them strips of paper they needed to weave over, under, over, under until they filled their paper.  We then either glued down the flaps or I taped the flaps on the back. Students LOVED seeing their weavings get longer - many even made patterns with the paper they picked.

For the 3rd graders - I had them make their warp threads.  We spent a class with rules and pencils to make sure their warp threads were even and in the right spaces.  A few students had to redo theirs when they quit and did it halfway trying to take the easy way out -- instead they had to do twice as much work.  Once their loom was done I left them pick which design they wanted from some patterns.  I showed them how to read the pattern one line at a time, then weave it -- next line and so on.  Many students caught on after a couple of lines, a few students needed some extra help.  They did GREAT!

4th graders made their own looms as well, but instead of weaving a pre-made pattern, I had them create their own.  Each student got a sheet of paper with 3 grids on it.  Students colored in full squares to make their designs.  Once all three designs were complete, students picked their favorite to weave.  Again, I showed students how to read their patterns one row at a time - off they went.

Now, after our first rounds of weaving I have decided that I love doing paper weavings with the younger kids and yarn weaving with the older kids.  While the grid weavings are neat - they were frustrating for many students because the paper moves around a lot, causing their patterns to distort. I had students glue them down in the end - but it was hard to glue flat without warping their weaving.  Although, I have to admit that the students had very little issue with the grid weaving concept because of Minecraft.  I had TONS of creepers woven.

The Terror of Being Gone

Okay, so over the years I have tried to make subs feel as comfortable in my room as possible.  I often have no idea if the sub has any experience with art, let alone teaching it.  I hate leaving videos - though I am close to doing that.

The first time I had a sub I spent HOURS writing my sub plans so that the kids could keep working on their project and not get behind my other classes - what a mistake.  The kids needed to use ONLY primary colors as we were doing a Roy Lichtenstien project.  I came back to projects that not only had secondary colors - but that had gold, and silver... The sub went into my cupboards and took out both acrylic and tempera paints to let the kids use.  (Note: I left out the primary colors, bolded/underline what the primary colors were in my notes)

A few years later after using 'filler' projects and videos - I thought I'd give it another chance.  Perhaps now that I had been teaching a few years maybe my sub plans would be clearer.  MISTAKE.  I came back to a pile of 1st grade projects stacked on the table.  Now, this doesn't seem like a problem - but the kids had to cut and glue things down for this assignment.  I came back to a pile of 1st grade projects glued together.  It never occurred to me to tell an adult to put glued work on the drying rack - or at least to NOT stack it.  ::sigh:: It seemed common sense enough to me that you wouldn't stack glued things together..... alas I was wrong.

So, now - after having these and other painful returns to school I have a list of filler activities for the students to do with subs. I let the subs pick what they want to do with each class on copy paper. (Design your own money, design your dream house, your family wins the lottery - how would you spend it?) The students can use markers and crayons - that's it!  The projects are fun, they require students to be creative problem solvers.  I like doing it this way because it keeps the kids busy, not videos all day, and I don't have to stress.  Well, that is when they follow my plans.....

I had a sub yesterday as I unexpectedly I woke up about 3 am with back spasms - nothing crippling, but bad enough I didn't want to chance it not being better by school time and having to try and teach.  I got myself a sub, Advil and called my Mom. (gotta love Moms!)  Anyhow, I stopped by school this morning to pick up some stuff for my other school and I realize that my sub used LARGE paper - like 12x18 paper... uhh that's not copy paper.  I go to my paper cupboard -- sure enough a stack of paper is gone. 

 I wanted to scream, cry and throw things all at once!!!

 If you don't understand my reaction then you clearly have never had a budget where you get less than 2.oo per kid for the WHOLE school year.  All supplies are balanced out, even rationed.  I have in my notes to use copy paper as to not use my nice drawing paper.  ::sigh::

I really don't want to just show videos when I am gone - or have to fear supplies will be wasted.  My next idea is to create a sub BOX.  A box that will have lessons in it and the paper and anything else the sub might need.

If you are ever going to sub for an art teacher - PLEASE for the love of Pete, follow the sub plans.  PLEASE don't go through cupboards and think you can use anything you want to enhance the projects.

Thanks.

Anyone else got sub-proof ways to keep your classroom on track or, heck, share some horror stories?!

5th Grade - Gothic Architecture

Okay- so this have got to be my FAVORITE new project of the year.

I saw someone post a picture on Pinterest from Artsonia where a CD was a rose window and then the Cathedral was drawn behind it.  I was like "DUH!!!! What a PERFECT project for using CD's! How have I not thought of this? GENIUS!"

I have been waiting for what feels like months for clay to be over and such to try out this idea.  I finally had the perfect moment to start this with a group of 5th graders!

I first spent about 45 minutes of planning the lesson trying to find an interesting/short/information video on Rose Windows to show my students.... man was that a task.  I could find short boring videos, or interesting documentaries - but nothing that fit my whole criteria... well, that is until I found this:


Okay - so it isn't exactly perfect and I managed to talk over the part where the guy says "bloody hell" and then I skip the part about the commission for a new rose window.  (I am okay with mentioning religion when it comes in context of art/architecture - but I didn't feel it was necessary to bring in the modern religious icons.)

The thing I love about the video, other than the accents, is that it shows rose windows, a brief history, and even a few ruins.

So, after the video (or before if I remember) I give a little history - set the scene for these mammoth buildings.  I try to explain to the kids that these are not 'just stained glass windows' but that these are THE WINDOWS.  It is hard to really explain a life to kids where there is no real visual stimulation - there were no billboards, signs, advertisements, ipads, tvs, photographs and such during the time when these were built.  People were not use to seeing images at all let alone on such a GRAND scale.  I then show some stills of these cathedrals and point out how little the people are, or the chairs on the inside.  It is hard to describe how LARGE these structures are without a point of reference.

After I get done talking at them (which I try not to do - but sometimes it is necessary), we discuss what they notice about the rose windows while looking at some still photographs. -- Round, symmetrical, colors, patterns go around the center.... etc.  I then explain to them that they are going to create their own Rose Window.

They can either:
A) Start right away - but there is NO erasing sharpie so they will have to problem solve their mistakes.
B) Get a scrap sheet of paper and practice a few designs.

I hand out CD's and Sharpies and let them go.

The next time they come we look at a slide show of Gothic Cathedrals - complete with Rose Windows.  After a few photos I put up the picture shown below with 6 Cathedrals side by side.  I ask the students to look at them.  Compare, contrast the different buildings.  What do they have in common, how are they different?  They discuss these things at their table, we share a few as a class -- 3 door sections, LOTS of arches, steeples (though not always symmetrical), rose window in the middle, 3 layers (doors, middle, steeple), recessed doors.

Next, I pass out 'stone' colored construction paper with a handout containing pictures of the Cathedrals we just looked at.  Students use these pictures to help them make their own Gothic structure.  They draw with pencil, trace with Sharpie.

Then, the last we do is some shading to give the Gothic structures some pizazz.  I explain about the sun making shadows and how that helps us understand depth and shape.  We discuss that depending on where our light source, the sun, is will determine where our shadows go.  I show them how to take a black colored pencil and draw a shadow on the left or right side every line on their paper (excluding where their building and sky meet).  (Some struggle with this idea more than others - but its all good).

At this point if students want to be done - okay.  If they want to go above and beyond I have them go in with a white oil pastel and do the same on the opposite side of each line and color the sky in with a sky color.

These are spectacular to look at!  I love how each one looks completely different.

Amazing!