Special Education

*NEW artwork added 3/24/20* Scroll to the end to view!

MIXED MEDIA BRIDGES INSPIRED BY CLAUDE MONET!

 

Students learned about the artist Claude Monet and watched a video on his life and artwork. 

On day 1, Students layered tissue paper pieces with watered down white glue on 9×12” tagboard, to create the water and tree background.

On day 2, they glued on their photo, then a pre-cut bridge to go over their lily pond, drew lily pads with green oil pastel, and added white and pink dots with their fingers dipped in tempera paint to create lily flowers!

I LOVE how they turned out!!

APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS!

I LOVE these so much! We used a wet-on-wet watercolor technique for the umbrella (using only warm colors), and crayon, oil pastels, and marker for the grass, puddle and flowers background.

They brushed just water over the areas with marker to create a painted sky, puddles and grass.

I took a photo of each student “holding their umbrella” and printed out on regular copy paper then cut and glued their photos and umbrellas onto their painted background.

Thank you to Mrs. Price over at wh_artroom (Instagram) for this lesson inspiration!! I love it!!

Learning Goals:

Students can point out the warm colors in artwork

Students learn how to create “paint” from markers and water

MIXED MEDIA HEARTS 

This took 2- 40 minute art classes to create with a little left over time each class.

First, students traced a heart on 80# paper, then glued pieces of pre-cut tissue paper with watered down white school glue, overlapping any of the following color combos-red, pink, purple, yellow, and orange.

On their Square 1 sheet, they then traced their heart again and drew lines with oil pastels in whatever colors they wanted coming out from the heart, then painted over their lines with watercolor paint creating a resist.

Once dry, on day 2- the hearts were cut out, glued in place on the Square 1 sheet, and either red or pink oil pastel was added around the rim of their cut hearts!! ❤❤❤

PRINTMAKING –VASE OF FLOWERS!

 

PULLED STRING ART

Can you see the eyes in the one above?

The one above reminds me of a seahorse!

This was a super fun and EASY one day lesson on mirror symmetry! Kids dipped cut yarn into a plate of liquid tempera paint, then using a plastic fork, pushed the paint all over the yarn, keeping a small section of the yarn out so it wouldn’t get covered in paint. Then after taking the excess paint off with your fingers running down the yarn-(This part is important!)  place yarn on a sheet of paper (we used medium weight tagboard) anyway you like. Just make sure you leave the part that doesn’t have paint on the end dangling out. 

Then wipe hands on a paper towel or handy wipes, and place another piece of paper (same size) on the top, keeping that end bit of yarn dangling out from the side between the two sheets.

Then while holding down the 2 papers together with your hands or a book, pull the string (yarn) out slowly. 

To reveal your print! 

We used multiple yarn dipped into other colors to create these fantastic paintings! 

My students in Special Education classes created 3 each, 6 prints in total.

I see purple birds in the one above!

Kids had a blast creating them, and loved the sensory experience! I love the results and how it’s a surprise with each one!!

MIXED MEDIA WINTER SHEEP!

On day 1- Students painted snow and snowflakes with white tempera paint on construction paper, then sponged on grey clouds. They then painted some bubble wrap with white acrylic paint.

On day 2- Students glued on strips of black construction paper for the sheep’s legs, brown strips for the fence, glued on the cut out sheep, then added google eyes!

These turned out so adorable! Thank you blps_art (via Instagram)!

Please Note: All images seen below are of my students artwork only. These photos/lessons are not posted in any particular order regarding the flow of my curriculum.

Mixed-Media Sheep

Tissue Paper Pumpkin Collage 

Students created these gorgeous pumpkin collages using liquid watercolor, tissue paper, glue, and liquid tempera paint!

On day 1 of the lesson, students traced a pumkin using a cardboard tracer onto 9×12″ paper. They then glued on orange, red, yellow and pink squares of pre-cut tissue paper using a paintbrush and watered down glue. They brushed on a second layer of glue once a piece of tissue was placed on. They used a brown piece for the pumkin’s stem.

On a second sheet of 12×18″ paper, students painted a turquoise sky with liquid watercolor paint. (Very vibrant!)

On day 2 of the lesson, students cut out their pumpkins and glued onto the sky painting. They then glued on cut strips of various green and yellow tissue paper for the grass using watered down school glue and a paintbrush.

For the final step, they sponged on leaves in the sky by lightly dipping a pre-cut sponge in the shape of a leaf into a plate of drizzled red, yellow and orange liquid tempera paint, then gently pressed onto the sky to create falling leaves!

Learning Goals:

Continue to develop fine motor control (tracing, cutting, painting, stamping and gluing)

Learn about warm vs. cool colors

 

MIXING PRIMARY COLORS WITH TOY CARS! 

Students LOVED this project!!! So much fun!

 

I purchased these toy cars from the dollar tree, and gave each student a 5×7″ canvas (which was donated from a parent). Kids used liquid tempera paints to create secondary colors, by pushing their cars all around the canvas!

Afterwards kids got to take their cars home!

Oh- and the cars also made sounds when you pushed a button on the top!

Learning Goals: 

Students can mix primary colors to create secondary colors

 

 

THE DOT

Students watched an animated video of the book “The Dot” by Peter Reynolds. After the video they dipped their finger into various colored tempera paints on plates and printed their finger either all around a pre-drawn circle or within it. We created these on 12×12” 80# paper.

 

 

Warm Colored Fall Leaves

Students created these colorful fall leaf paintings using real pressed leaves, tape, tagboard, and liquid watercolor paints.

I collected a bunch of leaves and put them inside a big book to help press them and make them as flat as possible.

Students had help taping the leaves down using blue painters tape that was rolled into small rolls of tape and pressed on the backs of leaves then on their papers. They then carefully painted all around and on top of the leaves using warm colored liquid watercolor paints.

Once dry, the leaves were carefully peeled off the paper, revealing their shapes on the painted paper!

Learning Goals:

Students review warm colors

Develop skills in mixing colors with paint

 

 

MARKER PRINTS 

Students each received a small piece of Styrofoam printing sheet and drew straight overlapping lines using a colored pencil. Then colored in each shape with different colored markers.

On a separate 9×12” 80# piece of paper, I sprayed water and wiped gently with a damp sponge. The colored Styrofoam was placed (colored side down) onto the wet paper and students pressed with their hands to transfer the image. Students loved seeing this cool process!

 

 

THE HUNGRY, HUNGRY CATERPILLAR

Day 1- Students first watched a very sweet animated video of this story on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75NQK-Sm1YY

Students then used a small balloon to dip into paint to create the caterpillars body on a sheet of 12×18” 80# paper.

We left that to dry and worked on creating the apple. Students each received a 9×12” 80# sheet with a pre-drawn apple. They glued on layers of red and pink tissue paper with watered down white school glue within the apple shape, then a small rectangle of brown tissue for the apple’s stem. We left these to dry as well until the following week.

Day 2- Students cut out the caterpillar’s body and glued down with a glue stick onto a piece of 12×18” blue construction paper. Then, they glued on green and yellow strips of tissue paper all along the bottom overlapping the caterpillar a bit for the grass using a glue stick.

Lastly, students added cut white circles for the eyes and added legs and antennae with black sharpie.

 

 

BAT SILHOUETTES

For these fun fingerprint bats, I taped down 3 bat shapes with a few loops of scotch tape on the back onto a sheet of 12×18″ black construction paper.

Students printed their fingerprints that were dipped into yellow, orange and white paint all around the bats edges. Once dry, the white paper bats that were taped down were taken off, revealing the 3 bat silhouettes.

 

 

Tissue Paper Fall Trees

Students drew a large “Y” shape for their tree using a brown crayon, then drew smaller “y’s” shooting off from the big Y. I had a couple of bins of pre-cut tissue paper. One bin of warm colored tissue (about 1-2″ wide) and a bin of cool colored tissue paper.

Students glued blue pieces  all around the tree for the sky using a glue stick, then pressed them down flat with their fingers. Once the sky was finished (and you can leave white spaces if you like or fill it in) they glued down warm colored tissue pieces all inside their tree, overlapping some pieces.

Then glued down green pieces for the grass along the bottom.

Learning Goals:

Learn how to create a tree using the letter Y

Understands warm vs. cool colors

Continues to develop fine motor control

Snowy Owl Collage

Students were each given a piece of 12×18″ black construction paper, that had a pre-drawn outline image of a snowy owl landing on a branch.

Students added the bark by tearing small pieces of brown construction paper then glued each piece filling the entire tree branch. They then tore white paper for the body of the owl and added cut yellow circles for the eyes and a black cut triangle for the beak.

As a final step, students added details with construction paper crayons to the tree branches and sky.

Learning Goals:

-Continue to strengthen fine motor control (tearing, gluing, cutting, drawing)

– Demonstrate an understanding of a collage

-Learn about owls

 

 

3D Jellyfish

To create these super fun jellyfish in one 40 minute art class, I had created the base of the body ahead of time using a plain old large plastic solo cup and plastic wrap.

With your cup turned upside down, ball up a chunk of plastic wrap to about the size of a lemon, and place it on top. With some pre-cut clear tape (any kind) tape long pieces along the top of the plastic ball going down the sides of the cup in an x fashion. This way, the balled up chunk stays put, thus creating a rounded top instead of a flat top. You can squish it a bit with your hands to help shape it here.

Next, take long pieces of plastic wrap (about 36″ long) and drape over the cup, keeping the cup under the center of the wrap as best as you can. Press the plastic wrap with your hands, so it clings to the edge of the cup. The piece of plastic wrap should dangle down both sides- here squish in the plastic wrap right where the opening of the cup is and squish the remaining plastic wrap so it clings together forming the “oral arms” (see pic below). I had no idea that was what they were called until I googled it!

Next, repeat that same step putting long pieces of plastic wrap over the cup two more times, rotating your cup as you do so. Pressing and smoothing the plastic wrap so it clings. Gather all the long dangly pieces just at the opening of the cup and squish together, and squish together all the way down, so it forms one clingy piece. Tuck that long piece up and squish inside the cup- you can press hard here, it won’t ruin the way it looks later. The reason you want to do that is so it can rest (somewhat) flat on the table again-still upside down.

Now here is where the students can start creating the rest of it. Get a box, or bin or bag of pre-cut pieces of colored tissue paper- I like to use all colors but black, brown or grey- and get a container ready of mod podge watered down slightly with water. I like the shiny lustre kind so the jellyfish is all shiny when dry. Kids brush on the watered down mod podge, starting at the top where the dome shape you created is- going all around just that part.

Then taking one strip of tissue at a time- (cut to about 2″ wide to 7-8″ long) start putting tissue strips on where the glue is and smooth with your paintbrush. It’s ok if the tissue bends and overlaps itself, the goal is to just make it smooth with the brush. Keep applying more glue then paper as you work your way down, alternating colors if you like (as we did below) and smoothing each piece as you go with the brush. The goal is to go over all the plastic wrap.

Do this until you get to the bottom of the cup where it’s opening is- at this point you only want to go horizontal with the tissue paper.

Next, apply more watered down mod podge to the top and sides of your jelly and drape long pieces of yarn over the top of your jellyfish in an x like fashion, one piece of yarn at a time. We draped 4 pieces of yarn I think in total, but it can have more. The yarn was cut ahead of time to about 36″ long. Some can be a little shorter and some can be a little longer. These will act as the jellyfish’s tentacles.

The final step is to add one more layer of tissue (going over the whole cup and the yarn) to the bottom of the cup. The tissue colors will bleed into one another which is a cool effect! Then tuck the yarn up inside the cup as well.

Ok, drying these are a bit tricky! Especially if you are doing this with a whole class. Where would you store them all? What I did was place the cups on a windowsill – but…I only did this lesson with 5 kids per class- and only 2 classes. I wrote each students names and their class on a sheet of paper and placed it under the jellyfish to dry (paper plates or whatever would work too).

I did try this lesson one time my first year teaching at the school I’m in now, with my three 2nd grade classes and let me tell you it was VERY tricky (storing them all for drying) and VERY messy! I did break it down into (2) 40 minute art classes but still –Can you see all the tissue paper everywhere in a class of 25 kids and glue and sticky tables and sticky hands? Times that by 3 classes of 25 kids– not to mention pre-jelly fish body making with saran wrap (I don’t know what I was thinking?!!) Did I mention that I don’t have a sink in my art room??! It was then I decided it was more suitable for a much smaller group.

So anyhoo- once dry (takes just a day or two) you just pull out the yarn gently from inside the cup and saran wrap “oral arms” and voila! 3D Jellyfish!

Learning Goals:

Students learn what three-dimensional means and create a 3D jellyfish

Students learn about different parts of a jellyfish and can identify them

Continue to strengthen fine motor control

Fall Tree Collage

After discussing the parts of a tree, students drew tree’s using the letters Y and V to create the trunk and branches. They added the bark for their tree by carefully tearing brown colored construction paper and gluing down over their pencil lines with a glue stick. Students were encouraged to tear larger pieces for the trunk and smaller and thinner pieces for the branches. Leaf details were then added using crumpled warm colored tissue paper. Final touches were added using crayon to create the lines for the bark, a sun, and a rake.

Learning Goals:

– Students learn how to draw tree’s using the letters y and v

– Learn what a collage is

– Strengthen their drawing and fine motor skills

Winter Mitten

This was a two day lesson  (art classes are 40 min. long). On day 1, students painted a piece of 9×12″ heavy weight tagboard with blue liquid tempera paint. While still a bit wet they stamped white clouds using a small piece of sponge that had been dipped into white tempera paint (scraping off excess paint on the edge of a paper plate). The blue sky background was then set aside to dry.

On another piece of 9×12″ 70# drawing paper, they created the mitten. I drew the mittens out ahead of time and traced with black sharpie to define the edges. Students then glued on (pre-cut) small squares and rectangles of warm colored tissue paper using watered down elmer’s glue with a paint brush over the mitten.Tell students to use only a thin layer of watered down glue. The water helps thin the glue out a bit, therefore making it much easier to spread. Overlap sections of tissue paper to ensure the white areas will be covered up. You don’t need to worry if kids go over the lines here, since the mitten will be cut out later. The mitten was left to dry until the next art class.

On day 2 of the lesson, students then simply cut out their mitten (the black sharpie lines are still visible through the tissue) and glued the back with a glue stick. Since the paper (mitten) is now thicker with layers of glue and tissue you need to use a lot of glue all over the back to make sure it sticks to the sky background. Press over the entire mitten, paying more attention to the edges, with the flat of your hand. I tell students to count to ten as they press to make sure it stays put.

For a final step, draw snowflakes in the sky with a white oil pastel.

Winter mitten inspiration found on Pinterest here  

Learning Goals:

Students can define warm and cool colors

Strengthen fine motor skills (cutting, gluing, painting, and drawing)

Winter Tree Landscapes

This is probably my favorite winter lesson. I love the unexpected pink sky and the simple tree shapes with pops of color!

This was a two day lesson (40 min. art class periods). On day 1, students created the trees on one 12×18″ paper, and the sky with snow on 12×18″ pink construction paper.

For the paper with the trees, I prepped the trees ahead of time. Draw simple triangles using a ruler, on 12 x18″ 80# drawing paper. Some trees can be wider, and taller than others. Space them apart on the paper, holding the paper horizontally. Draw in pencil first, then outline with thin black sharpie. Add lines inside the trees with thin black sharpie.

Prep cut tissue using various colors in short strips and/or squares. Students then glued on pieces of tissue paper, one at a time, using a paintbrush dipped into watered down elmer’s glue. Glue the paper where you want the tissue to go first with a thin layer, then apply a piece of tissue, then smooth the tissue down with the paintbrush with another thin layer. Overlap pieces of tissue as you work your way down the tree. It’s ok if kids go over the edges of the trees since the trees will be cut out later on. Once all trees are done, set aside that paper to dry until the next class.

Students then created the sky background, by dipping their finger (I tell kids to just use one finger here) into white liquid tempera paint and dotting their pink papers all over. The lighter they press, the smaller the dots, the harder they press, the bigger the dots (snowflakes). This paper gets set aside to dry until day 2 of the lesson.

On day 2, students glued on the white hills to their pink papers. I prepped the hills ahead of time, by drawing one sloping line along the bottom of a sheet of 12×18″ 80# drawing paper (holding the paper horizontally), and then turning it upside down to draw the second sloping line on the same side. So basically, two hills should fit on the same side of one piece of paper.

Students cut along the lines, cutting out their hills. They glued them down using a glue stick. Glue one hill down along one edge, then the other one overlaps the first along the opposite edge.

Next, students cut out their triangle trees following the black lines. Students glued the back of each tree using a glue stick, making sure to use a lot of glue, especially on the edges. I tell students to press each tree with the flat of their hand for 5-10 seconds, counting as they hold it down. Space the trees so some are glued higher on the hill and some lower, alternating so it has a balanced composition and creates the illusion of space.

Learning Goals: 

Can identify triangles and create them in their work

Can identify colors while working on their art

Understands that simple lines and shapes can create images

Develops an understanding of how to create a sense of space in artwork

Continues to strengthen fine motor control

 

SNOWMEN ORNAMENTS

 

Holiday Tree Collage

To create these trees, I prepped a sheet of 12×18″ drawing paper by drawing a hill and adding a tree strump with marker. Students used plastic forks to spread the green paint to create the tree branches, starting near the top of the paper.

The fork is not only fun to use to spread the paint, but creates TEXTURE!

Once complete, it is set aside to dry until the next class.

On day 2 of the lesson, students cut out their tree leaving a little bit of white all around the tree. After gluing the back of the cut out tree and hill with a glue stick, and  gluing down to a sheet of 12×18″ blue construction paper; students made tree ornaments by dipping a Q-Tip into red, blue and yellow paints and dotting their tree.

White paint was added for a snowy background using the same method.

For a final special step, students glued the hill and sprinkled glitter all in the hill to add some holiday sparkle!

Learning Goals: 

Students enhance  fine motor control with cutting and gluing skills

Review the primary colors (red, blue and yellow)

Can create texture in their artwork

Winter Wreaths

Holiday Mitten Card

Winter Hats

For this fun 1 day lesson, I prepped students hats by cutting out a hat shape from a sheet of tagboard.

Students then glued on a few cotton balls for the hat’s pom pom using a glue stick.

Then they drew with a white crayon- pressing as hard as they could, to create various lines in the hat.

They then painted the hat using liquid watercolors, creating a crayon wax-resist.

While the hats were wet, kids sprinkled some glitter to add sparkle!

Learning Goals: 

Students strengthen fine motor control skills (drawing pressing hard, painting, gluing)

Can draw various lines

Can create a crayon-wax resist hat

Poinsettia Paintings

Students created these beautiful poinsettia paintings using cut sponges in the shapes of petals and leaves dipped into paint.

Students learned how to mix red and white to create pink and then how to print leaves and petals onto their paper using the sponge and paint. Smaller sponges dipped into green were used to create some leaves around the flowers.

For a final touch, q-tips were dipped into gold paint to dab on the flowers centers.

Learning Goals: 

– Understand how to mix colors to create pink

– Enhance fine motor skills

– Learn printing techniques

PAPER SNOWFLAKES!

For the snowflakes, I prepped students papers, by tracing a circular item (I used a plastic lid to a take out container) on a sheet of printer paper. I then cut them out and then folded in half, folded in half again and folded in half a third time. The end result of the folded paper looks like a triangle.

I then drew a row of small triangles with pencil on each side of the folded paper.

Students then cut along the papers edges cutting out the triangle shapes. They then carefully opened up their paper revealing their snowflake! I had kids also try cutting out any shapes they wanted on 2 more (creating 3 snowflakes in total).

Learning Goals: 

Students strengthen fine motor control skills

Can identify triangles and make triangular shapes, as well as other shapes

Paper weaving 

 

For this paper weaving lesson, I prepped students papers ahead of time by cutting 11 straight lines in a folded sheet of 12×18″ black construction paper, so when cutting, the paper is 9×12″.

I prepped sheets of colored construction paper by cutting the sheets into 1″ – 2″ strips.

This was a very challenging lesson for students, so teachers helped students weave the strips, or held the black paper as they wove over and under as best they could. This project was modified even further for some students where paper strips could be glued down in rows or overlapping one another on an uncut sheet of black 12×18″ paper.

Once complete kids glued the end sections so they would stay in place with a glue stick.

I put them through a laminator to protect the art and to create cool placemats for eating!

Kids did a GREAT job with this! If I were to have done this lesson again, I would definitely modify it –cutting less strips (maybe 5) in the black paper, then make the colored strips 2-3″ large, and have them weave only 5 strips or so.

Learning Goals: 

Students learn how to weave with paper

Strengthen fine motor control skills

Marble painting 

Students had a lot of fun creating these abstract paintings using primary colored paints and marbles!

Each student had a piece of 12×18″ paper that was placed in a cardboard mason paper box.

I had prepared cups ahead of time with primary colored liquid tempera paints (1 red cup, 1 blue cup, and 1 yellow cup). Several large marbles were placed inside each cup.

Teacher’s assisted in spooning out each marble one at a time onto their papers, and students moved the box, tilting it back and forth and side to side allowing the painted marble to create their designs and mix colors together. Dribble a bit more paint from the spoon on the papers if needed to help the marble move the paint around.

We discussed how the primary colors were now making secondary colors as their marbles moved across the paint that was put down before. Students loved the process and watching the marbles make lines!

Learning Goals: 

Students learn primary colors and secondary colors

Students learn how to create secondary colors

Birds on a Wire

I love this lesson- so simple but so effective!

Students created this in one 40 min. art class. Draw a horizontal line near the bottom of the 80# drawing paper in pencil for grass. Color the bottom with green marker. Show students how to draw the telephone poles by drawing straight, thick, vertical  lines with a brown marker on either side of the 80# drawing paper. Draw 2 short, horizontal lines along the tops.

Next, using a fine point black sharpie (or marker) draw a straight line connecting the top horizontal portions of the telephone poles. Draw a curved line (make sure it swoops way down to allow room for birds) from the bottom horizontal brown lines.

Have students stamp their finger on their chosen colored stamp pad, using one finger per color. I had students stamp with one color multiple times before moving to another finger using a different color. Make sure when they stamp their finger, it is a bit higher up over the wire, so there’s room to draw the birds legs, if resting on a wire. Stamp some fingers away from the wires so it looks like it’s in flight. To create wings on the birds in flight, stamp the finger at an angle next to the birds body.

For a final touch, draw small triangles for beaks, dots for eyes, and lines for legs and feet using a fine point black sharpie. Have some birds looking at each other, some looking up, some looking down for variety.

Learning Goals: 

Students can draw vertical, horizontal, straight, curved, thick, and thin lines and can identify them

Students can draw triangles and can identify them

Gains an understanding on simple printmaking techniques

Shaving Cream Marbled Prints

This is a super fun one class project! You can create these using shaving cream, concentrated liquid water colors, rulers, a plastic bin and paper.

Step 1: In a plastic container larger than the paper you’ll use (we used 9×12″ 80# drawing paper) spray shaving cream (I used an unscented cheap kind) all inside the bin (about 1-2″ deep)

Step 2: Using bottles of concentrated liquid watercolor (I used Sax), squeeze droplets of paint one color at a time all over the shaving cream (I stuck to the primary colors plus 2 secondary– too many colors might equal more grays and browns when finished)

Step 3: Students write their names on the backs of the 9×12″ paper with pencil and gently lay, name side up, on top of the shaving cream.

Step 4: Gently press the back of the paper with your fingertips all over so it is pressing against the shaving cream. I ask kids to do this while counting to 15 seconds. This way the paint really adheres to the paper.

Step 5: Taking a corner with your fingertips, gently peel the paper off the foam and lay flat foam side up, on a table covered with either tinfoil or some large protective place mat.

Step 6: Hold one side of the paper with one hand using your fingertips. Using a ruler, gently start at the edge of the paper where your fingertips are and squeegee off the left over shaving foam, going all the way across the paper in one smooth motion.

Now you have a cool print! Let dry flat.

These papers look super vibrant and can be used for so many other art projects! Cut sections out for use in a collage, fold it in half to make a card…the possibilities are endless!

Thank you Cassie Stephens for such a fun lesson idea!

Learning Goals: 

Learn various printmaking techniques

Can identify various colors

Understands that colors mixed together can create new colors

Mixed-Media Clay Butterflies

This is a fun 2 day lesson. To create this, you need pipe cleaners, model magic (white), liquid tempera paints, liquid watercolor paint, brushes, crayons, scissors, a hot glue gun, tinfoil and heavyweight tagboard.

Day 1 

Step 1: Students each get a pre-cut out leaf out of a piece of 9×12″ heavyweight tagboard. (I drew the leaf really big almost taking up the whole paper, and then cut out ahead of time). Kids then draw the leaves veins using a bright yellow crayon, making sure to press really hard as they draw. The crayon will create a crayon wax-resist in the next step.

Step 2: Students then paint their entire leaf using green liquid watercolor paint. I like to use Sax brand concentrated liquid watercolors (undiluted) so they are a vibrant green. Set aside to dry.

Step 3: Students then assemble their butterfly with model magic. Giving them small pieces at a time, show how to make the center (the body) by rolling into a hot dog shape. Make the head by rolling another small piece into a small ball, then attach the head to the body by pressing together. Giving each child another small piece, show them how to make each wing. Roll into a ball, then flatten out with your palm a little bit, then pinch with your fingers to create the pointier tips (or just leave rounded as seen below). Attach each wing, one at a time, to the sides of the body (make sure all pieces are securely attached by pushing together firmly). Using pre-cut pieces of pipe cleaners, insert one on either side of the head. Students can curl the ends with their fingers (or wrap the pipe cleaner around the end of a pencil) or leave straight. Place butterflies carefully on a paper plate lined with a piece of tinfoil (so it won’t stick to the plate) and let dry for a few days until firm to the touch.

Day 2

Paint the butterfly using liquid tempera paints and small brushes. If you don’t have small tempera brushes, you can trim them smaller with scissors to a finer point. Paint the wings first, then paint the body black last. This way, the black won’t accidentally smear into the colorful wings. Let dry overnight, then hot glue the butterfly (the teacher does this step) onto the leaf.

Learning Goals: 

Students learn what mixed-media is

Demonstrates an understanding of crayon wax-resist and shows it in their work

Can create spheres and oval shapes from clay

Strengthens fine motor control (pinching, rolling, shaping clay, pushing pipe cleaners into clay, drawing, painting)

Floating Chalk Prints

•  Paper-  9×12″ 80# paper.
• Chalk. We used thick pieces so it would be easier to hold onto.
• Tongue depressors (OR scissors)
• Tub of water (plastic bin that is larger than the paper)

Step 1: Fill your plastic bin with water about 1/4 -1/2 way up. Students take a piece of chalk and scrape the side of it using the edge of a tongue depressor (or open scissors -however the tongue depressor works better) over the bin of water. Little flakes of chalk will drop into the bin of water and rest on top. It’s important not to move the bin of water while you do this (the chalk will then float down to the bottom, which is not what you want). Scrape at least 5 times each time you get a piece of chalk. Use at least 4 colors to create a lot of color for your print.

Step 2: Gently lay a piece of 9×12″ 80# paper on the surface of the water. Using your fingertips, gently press all along the back of the paper, and count to 15 as you do so. Try not to press so hard that the water pools up on top of the paper, but if it does that’s okay too.

Step 3: Take one corner of your paper and slowly peel off the water, and rest the paper color side up on a tray or table to dry.

That’s it! Super simple!

Thank you Cassie Stephens for this amazing art lesson idea! To view her step- by-step procedure with a video click here

 

Mixed-Media Baby Chicks and Eggs

Materials you will need: Felt fabric, pipe cleaners, tissue paper, glue sticks, scissors, watercolor paint, pre-made chalk prints (explained ABOVE), 80# paper.

This is a 2 day lesson

Day 1

Step 1: Paint a piece of 9×12″ 80# paper with blue liquid watercolor paint ( I used Sax concentrated liquid watercolors) and set aside to dry.

Step 2: Create a chalk print on a separate sheet of 9×12″ 80# paper. (Lesson on chalk prints explained in the previous lesson!) Set aside to dry.

Day 2

Step 1: Glue strips of green tissue paper along the bottom for grass using a glue stick.

Step 2: Draw ovals (I helped students with this part) on the back of the chalk prints and cut out. Cut zig-zag lines in some of the eggs to make it look like it’s hatching.

Step 3: Glue felt baby chicks down with glue just above the grass (I drew these ahead of time on small pieces of felt using a sharpie. Some can be just heads, and some the whole body if not in an egg). Kids then cut them out following the lines.

Step 4: Glue down the eggs on the grass.

Step 5: Add pre-cut pipe cleaners for legs and beaks, and glue using a glue bottle.

Mixed-media Rainbow Collages

Students created these fun and simple rainbows in 2 art classes.

Day 1

Step 1: Students created raindrops by stamping dark blue paint with their fingers onto a sheet of lighter blue 12×18″ construction paper. Set aside to dry until the next class.

Step 2: Then rainbows were then created on a separate sheet of 12×18″ 80# drawing paper. I put dots about the size of a dime, in the rainbows order at one bottom edge of the paper. Students then swiped the paint using a ruler in one full motion creating the arch! Set aside to dry until the next class.

Day 2

Step 1: After the rainbows were dry, students cut them out and glued onto the raindrops painting

Step 2: Cotton balls were added for clouds with a glue stick (using a heavy amount of glue) and then pressing the cotton ball down with the flat of your hand, press for 5 seconds. Continue adding more cotton balls.

Learning Goals:

Students continue to refine fine motor control skills

Understand simple printmaking techniques (raindrops)

Learn the rainbow’s order and can identify each color

Abstract Tiles

Thanks @tattooedartteacher (on Instagram) for this awesome idea! I bought these square tiles at Lowe’s for .16 a piece. Draw on with colored sharpies (filling in the entire piece) then using an eye dropper (bought at Cvs) drop 91% rubbing alcohol on top of the colored in tile (less is more, and needs to be 91% not 70% alcohol). Tilt the tile in all directions if you want the colors to drip and run into one another.

It dries in 10 minutes, then stick on a piece of adhesive felt on the back so it won’t scratch table tops (AC Moore sells these pre-adhesive felt sheets for like $2 each). Cut them slightly smaller. Then spray acrylic sealer to the top to seal for use! Dries very quickly and can be used as a coaster or decoration! So cool!! See video below.

Abstract Line Collage 

This was a really quick lesson with a fun, colorful impact!

I pre-cut various colored construction paper into thick and thin strips, and in different lengths (a great way to use up some remaining left over paper from other lessons) and placed them in cardboard box tops to share from at the table.

Students selected whatever colors they wanted and glued onto black construction paper using a glue stick. Some pieces were glued down overlapping others.

Thank you kimgraceart.blogspot.com for the inspiration for this fun lesson!

Learning Goals:

Students learn that abstract art focuses mainly on line, shape and color

Continues to strengthen fine motor control skills

Demonstrate how to create diagonal, vertical, horizontal lines

Demonstrate overlapping in their work

Clay Birds in Nests

Continuing to learn about 3-D artwork, students formed these wonderful birds in nests using white soft model magic clay.

First, students learned how to shape the clay into a nest by making a large ball with their hands, then pressing their thumbs in the middle and pulling and pinching the clay to form the sides.

They formed the birds body next by using smaller pieces of clay and rolling into balls for the head and body then attaching to one another. Wings were then assembled from two more pieces of oval shaped clay and carefully attached to the sides of the bird.

For a final step, they then shaped a small triangle and a two small balls for the birds beak and eyes.

In the second art class, after the clay had completely dried, students painted their birds and nests using liquid tempera paint.

Learning Goals

– Students continue exploring and creating three-dimensional artwork

– Students learn hand-building techniques with clay and learn how to create a bird in a nest

– Strengthen fine motor skills

Abstract warm / cool circle painting 

Jumping off a previous lesson, students furthered their understanding on warm and cool colors by creating these fun abstract paintings, inspired by  the artist Wassily Kandinsky.

Students traced multiple sized circles on a 12×18″ piece of paper, which had been folded, creating 8 rectangular sections.

Each rectangular section had a large, medium and small circle drawn inside. Students colored in the circles with cool colored crayons, then painted around the circles with warm colored watercolors.

Learning Goals:

– Learn a little bit about the artist Wassily Kandinsky and his artwork

– Demonstrate an understanding on how to create a crayon wax-resist painting

– Understand the difference between warm and cool colors

– Learn the art term “abstract”

Symmetrical Butterflies

Students created these beautiful butterflies in 2 (40 min.) art classes.

Day 1

Step 1: Using pre-cut blue tissue paper, students glued sections down using watered down elmer’s glue with a paint brush on 12×18″ 80# drawing paper. Add another thin layer of watered down glue with the brush on top wherever sections aren’t flat. Students could go over the edges of the paper in areas (since the edges could be trimmed later). Set aside to dry.

Step 2: On another piece of 80# 10×16″ paper students folded their paper in half horizontally. Using black liquid tempera paint, they painted a thick line using a thick layer of paint down the crease of their paper, then folded the paper, pressed the paper, then opened creating the butterfly body and head.

Step 3: Painting only on one side of the paper with whatever  colors you want, repeat the same steps using a thick layer or paint, then folding and pressing and opening, to create the wings of the butterfly. Set aside to dry.

Day 2

Step 1: The teacher draws a line with marker, all along the edge of the butterfly, and then students cut along the line to cut out their butterfly.

Step 2: Glue the backside of the butterfly, with a glue stick, paying special attention to the edges and place it on the sky background and press over each area with the flat of your hand to make sure it’s adhered well.

Learning Goals:

Students learn about symmetry and show symmetry within their work

3D Line Sculpture

Students had a lot of fun creating lots of different lines for this fun sculpture lesson!

Using a thick square piece of styrofoam students pushed pipe cleaners into the styrofoam block along the top and then bent them, twisted them together, made them wavy etc. Some pipe cleaners were made into curved lines that went back into the styrofoam block, creating a tunnel for other pipe cleaners to loop around or go through. Some pipe cleaners were also wrapped around pencils to make spirals. Students had a blast manipulating them to create all kinds of fun lines!

Learning Goals:

Learns that 3D art takes up space and isn’t flat

Can demonstrate how to create a variety of lines using pipe cleaners

Mixed-Media Hands Holding Flowers

This is one of my favorite lessons, and it only takes (1) 40 minute class to complete!

Materials needed: Pre-cut strips of green construction paper, (some thick some thin), 12×18″  blue construction paper (or whatever color you want!), various 9×12″ skin colored construction paper, a variety of colorful cupcake liners (I purchased mine at A.C. Moore in packs of 75), glue sticks and scissors.

Before doing any demonstrating, I read students the book “The Colors of Us” by Karen Katz. This story is one of my favorites- I love the illustrations but also the message. It’s a positive story about diversity and discusses the importance of appreciating people’s differences. My recommendation is to get this book if you don’t have it yet in your classroom!!

Step 1: Students trace their hand and a portion of their wrist on skin colored paper, finding the color that best matches their skin, using pencil (making sure the fingers are spread apart).

Step 2:  Carefully cut out the hand. Place the hand on the lower section of the blue paper, so the thumb is facing up.  It doesn’t matter if the hand is coming from the left side of the paper or the right, just so long as the thumb is pointing up. Glue down only the wrist and palm but not the fingers.

Step 3: Once the wrist and palm is glued, bend the fingers in towards the palm so they are upright (see pics below).

Step 4: Glue 5 strips of green (I like the variety of greens better than just one shade) construction paper inside the hand one at a time, so some are glued at an angle and some are more straight, and some come down further than others, like a real bouquet of flowers.

Step 5: Glue the backs of each finger and thumb and press down so they go in towards the palm. Now it looks like the hand is holding the stems!

Step 6: Glue your favorite colored cupcake liners along the top of each stem with a glue stick. Make sure the colored side is facing up- (I had to flip them inside out ahead of time, in order for that to work).

Step 7: Using pre-cut flower head shapes from other cupcake liners (see in pic below) students then glued the centers on with more glue. To keep the three-dimensionality of the flower heads, make sure kids don’t press anywhere but the flowers centers using just their fingertips.

Voila!! Your beautiful masterpiece is complete!

This would be fun to try again using some painted papers, or papers created from the shaving foam prints or chalk prints (listed above) for the flowers centers!

Thank you Laura from Painted Paper for the inspiration for this fun lesson!

Learning Goals: 

Students understand the term mixed-media and can use different materials in their work

Students continue to develop and refine fine motor skills

RAINBOW HEART CARDS

This fun lesson includes model magic modeling clay, white tempera paint, pink construction paper and red tagboard (or cardstock) paper.

First students each received a large plate with a pre-drawn heart in the middle with black sharpie. Each student got a small piece of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple model magic clay. (I actually only had red, yellow and blue – primary colors- to work with but mixed the colors together to get orange, green and purple)

Students used their hands and fingers to roll pieces into a small ball, then rolled it out into a long thin “snake”, then starting with red, shaped the clay to form the shape of a heart on their plate. They continued to shape the other colors in the same manner going smaller and smaller as they got the heart’s center. The purple ends up being a small circle in the hearts center.

On a small square sheet of pink construction paper students dipped one finger into white tempera paint to print their finger at an angle 2x to create “heart shaped” clouds.

Everything was left to dry overnight, and then I hot-glued the pink papers onto the folded red tagboard, and the clay rainbow hearts on top in the center.

These cards were created for students to bring home for a special someone for Valentine’s Day!

LEARNING GOALS:

Students enhance their fine motor skills while manipulating and shaping clay

Students learn about the rainbows color order

Students can create shapes with simple printmaking methods and modeling clay

MIXED-MEDIA HEARTS

This mixed-media lesson includes, crayon, watercolors, tissue paper, white school glue, and oil pastel. It took (2) 40 minute art classes to complete.

DAY 1

STEP 1:

First students each received a 8×8″ sheet of 80# drawing paper with a pre-drawn heart in the center. They drew lines from the edges of the heart out to the edges of the paper with crayon all around the heart- pressing hard as they drew.

Students painted over the crayon lines with watercolor paints.

These were set aside to dry until the next class.

STEP 2:

On a separate sheet of 8×8″ 80# drawing paper, students filled in a pre-traced heart (I had heart tracers to use so the hearts on both papers would be roughly the same size) with red, orange, pink and yellow tissue paper that was pre-cut. They applied watered down white school glue with a paintbrush, then placed a piece of tissue, then brushed on a thin layer of watered down glue on top to flatten and stick in place. Tissue was overlapped as they glued 1 piece at a time until the whole heart was filled.

These were set aside until the next art class as well.

DAY 2

Students cut out their tissue paper hearts and glued into place on the painted paper they created in the last art class.

Then using a pink or red oil pastel, they drew a thick line tracing around the edge of their tissue paper heart! Voila!

LEARNING GOALS:

Students can draw thick and thin lines

Students can create a crayon-wax resist with watercolors

Students can show overlapping in their artwork

Students can identify colors while they create

Students continue to develop and build fine motor skills

LADYBUGS

This fun ladybug lesson took (2) 40 minute art classes to complete. We used blue and purple oil pastels, green liquid tempera paint, black, red and white construction paper, black liquid tempera paint, and black sharpies.

DAY 1

Students used the sides of a blue and purple oil pastel stick to rub a textured sky background all over their 12×18″ 80# paper.

They then stamped grass along the bottom by dipping small strips of cardboard into a plate of green paint and stamping lines.

This was set aside to dry until the next art class.

On a separate sheet of 9×12″ red construction paper, I had 5 pre-traced circles drawn, with a black line drawn down the middle of each circle with black sharpie. Students painted the ladybugs dots with a q-tip dipped into a small bit of black tempera paint all within each circle. These sheets were set aside to dry too.

DAY 2

I did some prep work ahead of time by punching out small black circles for the ladybugs heads using a hole puncher, as well as larger circles punched out for the ladybug’s body. White paper was hole punched ahead of time with a regular sized hole puncher for the eyes.

Students cut out their ladybug’s red dotted wings and cut along the center line to separate the two wings. They glued one small black circle first, then a large black circle down on top of the smaller one, so the head stuck out at the top. Then glued down one wing at a time so it looked like the lady bug was about to fly away or just landing on the grass.

The white circles were added for the eyes and then black sharpie was added for the ladybug’s antennae and pupils in the eye.

Students did a fabulous job! I love how these springtime ladybug’s came out!!

LEARNING GOALS:

Students can identify and cut various shapes

Students can apply texture to their artwork

Students develop and refine cutting and gluing skills

COFFEE FILTER FLOWERS

This fun flower lesson was created for my special education class. It’s a 2 day lesson and the materials needed were 3 coffee filters, watercolors, cupcake liners, pipe cleaners, glue sticks, tape and a paper straw.

First students wet the coffee filters down with water using a big paint brush. This allowed the coffee filter to lay flat and also helps absorb and spread drops of paint.

Students then used watercolor paint to paint on various colors of their choice over the entire coffee filter. These 3 filters were then set aside to dry.

On the second day, the filters were folded in half and students drew “bumps” all around the edge to create the petals. Each filter was cut a little smaller than the previous one. Then students glued each opened filter together in the center with a glue stick. A cupcake liner was then glued into the center of their flower. Then using a pipe cleaner, students created a spiral by bending and shaping with their hands. This spiral was then glued into the cupcake liner with a glue stick.

For the final piece, students chose their colored straw and taped it to the back of the coffee filters for the stem.