Epic Tunnel Book Landscapes

Wow, this project was, well....enduring.

It began with our landscape unit of study. I wanted to offer my students a unique creative experience so I had researched ways to create 3D landscapes. My students really love creating 3D (not surprising, it is my favorite too...I really passionate about it). This art making endeavor ended up taking us 6 - 8 classes to complete, from introduction to final rubric assessments.

About 4 classes in, I asked my classes if they were still excited about working on their tunnel books and by and large, everyone was still invested. I was surprised and pleased!

I  am going to try and keep this succinct because I could write essays about the process, and I will, since I'm using this unit for my National Boards portfolio.

Our learning objectives were:

1.   Create: I created a tunnel book landscape that has background, middle ground, and foreground layers with a horizon.
   
   
   
2.  Engage & Persist: I developed a clear visual story within my landscape.
3.  Planning: I considered and tried out a few ideas before and during my art making.
4.   Develop Craft: I applied new art making methods/techniques as well made connections to my other artwork/experiences. (ex. tunnel book construction, watercolor painting, collage)

Our lesson sequence was:

• Day 1 - Introduction to key vocabulary with visual examples in art history (google slides), created sketches, and assessed comprehension of landscape vocabulary 
• Day 2 - Examined our sketches, planned for construction, introduction to construction
• Day 3 - Created a background for the tunnel book
• Day 4 - Created and assembled middle ground sections with accordion sides
• Day 5 - Created foreground and attached viewfinder - assessed works in progress
• Day 6/7 - Finalized construction, peer reviews
• Day 8 - Self assessed with co-written rubric (teacher + student input)

 Here are some more the results. I didn't take many process photos because I was so busy chatting with the artists about their work.

These students worked so hard and were so proud of their results. They are displayed in our school's library for everyone to appreciate.

Thanks for stopping by!

Back to School Art Games

New room set up for the 2016-2017 school year

We have just wrapped up our 1st full week back at school and I couldn't be more proud of my art students. This is my third year teaching my kids and they have all grown so much in their art education. I was amazed how much they had remembered from past lessons and even more impressed how willing they were to take risks. I wanted our first art classes to be fun and exciting yet also cover the important art room expectations.

Before school began I was researching new ideas to kick off the year and I read an article form the Art of Education site about classroom management. The author, Melissa Purtee, shared a game called "What's in the bag?" I loved how this game is designed to teach classroom behaviors such as teamwork, creative problem solving, and being on task. I adapted it for my teaching setting by requiring each class to disassemble their work at the end of class. This adaption, which was at first a means to have enough supplies for the 480+ kids I teach, but then became a valuable lesson in letting things go. It was really hard for some kids to take their work apart but allowed them to practice coping with this type of process.

5th grade artists creating a super hero costume prompted in the "What's in the Bag" game

Create a playground prompt by 2nd grade artists

Make a monster that can move prompt by 4th grade artists

Become a Rock band prompt, check out that xylophone!

Another game I played was a drawing game I read from Mona Brooks book called, "Drawing with Children". I read commands centered on the 5 basic elements of shape and my students responded by painting the command. I gave them 4 neon color paints, which they loved, to play the game. The results were beautiful. Even though they all had the same commands, each work was authentic in the response. It was a great game in reviewing drawing techniques and practice classroom expectations.

3rd grade work

4th grade work

I love how they look placed together.

I would say these games were successful in achieving my goals of teaching classroom expectations and creating an engaged, lively, and safe space.

Thanks for stopping by!

"How to Build a Monster", by 2nd grade

It is really wonderful when a grade level team wants to collaborate with me.  Ms. Herman, one of our amazing 2nd grade teachers, was talking with me at lunch one day about how she noticed her students really struggle with writing out operational math sequences.  I shared with her how I teach the kids to think in steps when creating an artwork, and it inspired a collaboration! The team consists of Ms. Stokke, Ms. Drorbaugh, Ms. Attaway, and Ms. Herman. Rock Stars, I tell ya.

The 2nd grade team emailed me asking if I could create a project their kids could use in a sequence writing exercise. Since we've been studying the big idea of "fear" in October I thought of asking the students to collage a mixed media monster.

 These projects had to be finished in time for parent conferences in a couple weeks. Since I only see them once a week and they needed to complete the writing exercise,  they created these monsters in one class. I gotta tell ya, the 2nd graders sure did deliver.

2nd graders are no strangers to collage, they practiced this medium a lot in 1st grade. They were, however, new to the idea of mixed media materials. I explained they needed to show a variety of implied and actual textures in their collages. They were shown different materials such as raffia, yarn, twist ties, metallic wrapping paper, fabric, felt, photos of animals from magazines, and painted paper.

To reinforce the sequencing of steps, I listed for them an order of operations.
1. Imagine your monster in your mind
2. Collect your materials
3. Begin with the head
4. Add the body and details (tail, tongue, teeth, claws, tentacles, horns, etc.)

My room was in full workshop mode, I've never seen these kids work so hard! It was a incredible sight to behold. I shared some images of these kids at work in my last post about wips. Mixed media collage is a great medium for 2nd grade because it requires envisioning AND exploring. Two very important artistic behaviors they are ready to develop.

Here are some photographs of their results as well as the 2nd grade displays for conferences.

Great contrasts in texture!

I love the use of spike tail found photo.

They are all so unique and expressive.

I like how some students chose to orient their monsters horizontally.

She really nailed the process sequence in her writing.

This one has really nice purple tentacles.

Check out that Alligator head monster on the far right!

Monsters have taken over the halls! It just so happens that the Book Fair that is going on during conferences this week has a Monster theme! Yay for happy coincidences!

I look forward to more grade level collaborations and more ways to demonstrate how art is a subject that lends itself to all types of learning.