Bead Work

For this fun project we created a mothers day card using construction paper, and a bracelet using string, magazine strips, glue, and a wooden dowel. With the card we used red construction paper and made a heart. With the bracelet we spun the magazine strips around a wooden dole creating beads; we used the glue to hold the beads together. Using our beads we created a pattern of colors, the challenge was finding magazine strips that shared like colors.

Extension Activity
For an extension activity you could look at bead work from other cultures. Here in South Dakota you could talk about Native American bead work for example.

Picasso Faces (Modern Art)

For our project we explored what modern art was when Picasso was an artist. We also looked into cubism, the first form of modern art.

We created a Picasso face using cubism as an abstract guide for the faces. The first step involved rolling out a slab of clay, and then cutting out a unique shape for the face. We then divided this face into four sections and created a different pattern/texture in each area of the face using a variety of different tools. Using the excess clay we then created eyes, nose, and mouth and using scoring and slipping added them to the face. Next we added a hole at the top of the face (Note that for display purposes it's best for the hole to be somewhat large) and smoothed out the rough edges of the face. Finally the face is painted with black tempera paint and left to dry for a few days. When face is revisited a different color is added to each section of the face, and the eyes, nose, and mouth are painted different colors as well.

With this project we explored scoring, slipping, line, shape, texture, modern art, and cubism.

These are pictures of our finished display...

Extension Activity
Students could define what modern means in today's world. Each student could find something new/radical that could be defined as modern. Students could then write a paragraph on how they see what they found as being modern.

Season Pictures

For this lesson we created a tree using our hand/wrist to create the trunk and branches on a brown piece of colored construction paper. After tracing our hand/wrist we cut out our tree and placed it on our choice of colored construction paper. We then got to choose if we were going to make a fall tree using warm colors, or a winter tree. Crinkling tissue paper and adding cotton balls and glitter we decorated our trees to match our selected season. My tree was a winter tree so I used cotton balls for clouds and white tissue paper for my tree leaves. The tree in our project was meant to represent emphasis as well as it was the main area of focus.

Extension Activity
As an extension to this activity you could talk about animals that migrate, hibernate, or stay put during the winter.

A box of Crayons

This project began with an activity called switching places. Students would switch with one another when they had something in common. This activity was meant to portray how unique we all are while at the same time demonstrating that we have allot in common.

Following this activity we colored a giant crayon, we then drew something that resembled who we were at the very center of the crayon. The focus of this project is to help students value who they are inside and outside the classroom. Together we are all part of a box of crayons!

Extension Activity
Have students write about a hobby or something they like to do in their spare time.

Sctratch Art (Mother's Day Cards)

For this project we used crayons to coat a piece of card stock, front and back, but not the middle. With the crayon facing up we taped the card down on another piece of paper and painted a mixture of black tempera paint and detergent over the top of the crayon. We then traced over pictures that we had originally drawn onto the card revealing the crayon coating underneath. We created a mother's day card using this fun technique placing a message on the inside of the card.

Extension Activity
Students could draw their favorite animal on the scratch pad and then write a story about their animal.

Multicultural Masks

This lesson was very historical/enlightening as we explored how masks were used in post and modern day situations. Using several different mediums we constructed a mask that was representational to ourselves. These masks represent our uniqueness and cultural diversity as well. Masks were made out of paper plate and we used scissors to cut out eye holes. We then painted the plate one solid color and proceeded to decorate it. Several unique designs were used to create the nose, and paint was used to added other characteristics to the masks as well.

Extension Activity
This would be great to tie into a history lesson! Students could explore there culture, and then compare their cultures with other cultures around the world. This would be a great way in continuing to explore diversity.

Holiday Printmaking

This project looks at incorporating the elements such as line, shape, and color into the process of printmaking. Carving into a flat Styrofoam slate we carved out a series of shapes for our first print, and for our second print we created a picture related to a holiday of our choice. We then painted over the print and pressed it down onto a piece of construction paper. This is really a creative fun way to have children experience printmaking. I highly recommend trying this in your classroom!

Extension Activity
Students could explore holidays in more details, or even the seasons for that matter after doing a project such as this one. It might be a good idea to look at holidays from the perspectives of other cultures as well so as to look into everyone's beliefs.