Wednesday Works - Islamic name tiles - 5th grade

Islamic Name Tiles for 5th grade - A lesson in symmetry

 

 (example and my note card "cheat sheet" to make sure I'm covering all I want to cover in the intro)

When I introduce this lesson, I like to ask the students about their knowledge of current events, if they've ever heard the terms Islam, or Islamic, and what they know about that.  It could very easily lead to some touchy conversations so I like to direct them away from the people to the art.

We talk about the region this group comes from, I pull down the map and we locate the Middle East.  Ask what they know about that area and the land.

I don't have a smartboard so I use my projector to show some larger examples and buildings where the tile work is located.


We start with tracing a triangle in their sketchbook.   Using bubble letters or block letters from our 4th grade Graffiti lesson the previous year, we fit the name into the triangle taking care to stretch and elongate some letters to use the space of the triangle wisely.

9" square paper is folded three times (in half, then in half, then on point with the open ends up) to form a pinwheel of triangles and the tracing begins.   One triangle is drawn free-hand, the remaining are only traced using a light box or the windows.

 (they were all over the building :) 

A really nice example so far. 

Last up is the coloring.  Islamic tiles were glazed with blues and greens in opposition to the dry desert colors present in that region.   So our tiles will be colored with blues and greens also.

Monday Motivations - Lee Gainer

Lee Gainer - from the Arlington Arts Center

(Isn't this close up fabulous!)

FRIDAY photos - 14 September 2012

I spent the better part of yesterday setting up the annual Art display at the Gratz Fair grounds.  

(piles of works in various stages of prep for the show)

I love this event for several reasons,
1- showing off artworks makes all the students feel extra special,
2 -parents love to see what their kids are doing, especially when a whole class is displayed at once,
3 - administrators are happy when my display looks good and when others tell them how nice the display looks,
4 (and my favorite!)- I get to talk with all the other art teachers in my area!  4 different districts from elementary to high school levels!  We visit, talk about the school year and it's challenges or successes, and admire works they all bring in to display. 

Here's some shots from my display this year......

A little paint pouring background to start....

Great job kids!

Wednesday works - Drawing with 1st grade

Ever hear of the book by Mona Brooks, Drawing with Children?  This is my very well used and a little worn copy.  I start out my first lesson for first grade with this simple lesson to see how well they follow directions. 

 Kindergarten does not have Art class with me, the first time I see the students is in first grade and I don't know where they are developmentally yet.   The "Bird on a Branch" lesson helps with that.

This lesson is the time I use to introduce details as the little extras added to pictures to make them unique.  We also talk about all that white space around a picture, that it's called the background and as much a part of the picture as the bird they drew first.

Each part of the bird is drawn using basic shapes such as a colored in dot, a circle, a straight line, etc.  The key is we all draw it together, no working ahead. 

You could use this pieced method to draw just about anything you would like, we just do this birdy because we like it. 

The book details many step by step pictures including this bird, a tropical bird, and a lion.  There are also lessons in gesture drawing, contour drawing, and shadows and lines.

Monday Motivations - Romero Britto

Romero Britto

Friday Photos

(I will be posting each week with Monday Motivations, Wednesday progress/lesson plans, and Friday Photos)

Artwork app - ArtKive

I just stumbled on this app and I just had to pass it on!

ARTKIVE

It's a FREE app found in the APP STORE for iphones (for a limited time) android platforms will be added later.

You photograph your child's artwork.   It is saved in an archive and when you have a lot of photo, you can print them into a photobook!  (that feature is coming soon according to the site)

from the ArtKive site -----

Frequently Asked Questions:

How does Artkive Work?

1. Create an account and add the first names and grades of your children
2. Take photos of their artwork or upload from your camera roll
3. Tag your photo with the child’s name, grade, date, and title
4. Share with family and friends or turn your Artkive into a book or other great product

I've already downloaded it to my phone and I'll be playing around with it with all the artwork my kids have made at home.  

A new set of goals

 1 - Add 5 new lesson plans to each grade level curriculum this year.

 2 - Update the Lenkerville blog with images, inspirations, and weekly ideas parents and students can use at home.

3 - Focus more on the techniques learned, the history presented, and the creativity happening than on the final product.

4 - Get more artwork on display in and out of the building. 

 
5 - Inspire art in every day rather than just on Art day!!

It's that time!!

I'm ready!   




Are you??

Amidst the creation and craziness of the last few weeks of school, I've been having camera issues so just imagine a room filled with wonderful projects, all neat and tidy and sparkling clean - yeah, it looks just like that around here.  :)

I'm going to try to update some OWL photos from 3rd grade with my phone and see if that works....



standby.......

“The most powerful way to develop creativity in your students is to be a role model.   

Children develop creativity not when you tell them to, but when you show them.” 

- Robert J. Sternberg

 

 Artworks by Beatriz Milhazes

4th grade Calligraphy and ink pens

Creepy Crawlies