I finally posted all my art room books! (listed under the page ”Art Room Book Collection”) Here are a few that I posted. There’s 97 books total.
Art Room Book Collection
“Bridget’s Beret” Read-aloud
“Bridget’s Beret” written and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
This story and others are also posted under ”Storytime” under the drop down menu.
I’ll be adding new student artwork here very soon! Can’t wait to share with you what my students have been up to in art!
“Frog and Toad Are Friends” READ-ALOUD
“Frog and Toad Are Friends” one of my favorite classic book series from childhood.
Written and illustrated by Arnold Lobel.
This read- aloud video contains 2 short stories from the book (“Spring” and “A Lost Button”)
“NEVER LET A PRINCESS PAINT WITH HER UNICORN!” READ-ALOUD
Book written and illustrated by Diane Alber
“The Big Orange Splot” READ-ALOUD
I created a new page on this blog of my video read-alouds for kids (I’m calling it STORYTIME), and for teachers to use in their classrooms.
So far I’ve only recorded one book, but I am excited to add and share more very, very soon! I have a ton of books in my collection in my art room and I recently purchased 2 more children’s books!
If there are any short picture books that you would like for me to add to my videos, please let me know (you can email me under my contact page) Thank you! I hope you like it!
RESEARCHING A CONTEMPORARY ARTIST – 5th Grade
This lesson took about (4) 40 minute art classes to complete.
On day 1 I discussed with students the many different art careers out there available, then showed them a great video on all the different art related careers out there someone could do for inspiration for this lesson. I wish I could just post the video i showed my students for you here, but for some reason it wont let me embed the video from YouTube. If you search ”MHRD – Careers in Art” you can watch it there.
After the video students were shown a huge variety of various contemporary artists in my Google slides. Then, using their laptops, students logged into my art classroom in Google, and were able to review the slides of artists. Each slide showed 1-3 photos of their artwork, and a small description of the kind of artwork they created. I hyperlinked the photo of the artist to either their blog, their website, an article, or to Wikipedia about the artist.
From there, students took some time researching artists that intrigued them, then selected one artist to focus on.
Days 2-4 were spent thinking about that artists style, and/or what materials they used to create their art with and draw a picture related to and inspired by that artists work. Students looked at ceramicists, photographers, painters, illustrators, fashion designers, interior designers, architects, graphic designers, animators, installation artists, jewelers, video game designers, weavers etc. I also wanted to make sure I included just as many female artists as male artists and to include artists from a variety of cultural backgrounds.
Students then drew using pencil, colored pencils, markers and/or crayons.
On the final day, students filled out a sheet with questions on why they chose that artist and what facts they learned about their chosen artist. Students did such an amazing job on researching independently, and coming up with their own creations and drawing artwork inspired by their chosen artist! Students really enjoyed this lesson and I’m hoping doing this lesson will inspire them to research and learn about additional artists on their own time. I wish I took more photos of their artwork, but check out some of their work below!
TEXTURED PAPER QUILTS – INSPIRED BY ARTIST SANFORD BIGGERS – 1st Grade
This first grade lesson took about (2) 40 minute art classes to create.
Students first learned about the artist Sanford Biggers and we discussed his AMAZING artwork. We also discussed how we’d be utilizing the elements of art; Line, Shape, Color, and Texture to create these fun paper quilts.
DAY 1
After reviewing his artwork, students each received a sheet of 8.5” x 11” copy paper with a grid as seen in the photo below.
Then students colored in each corner with marker, and drew a pattern with black sharpie on the edges.
After that students colored in 8 sections with whatever color they wanted using marker.
Then they drew patterns in the remaining 8 sections with sharpie.
Then students drew ”stitches” with black sharpie all around each rectangle and corners.
DAY 2
On day 2 students cut all around the edges of their paper, creating fringe.
Then students crinkled up their papers into a tight ball and then carefully pulled it apart and repeated crinkling it into a ball and uncrinkling it about 12 times to create texture! Students were surprised they were told to crinkle up their artwork and were amazed that their papers had also shrunk!
3D PAPER SCULPTURES – 1ST AND 2ND GRADE INSPIRED BY CHARLES MCGEE
This lesson took ( 2 ) 40 minute art classes to create.
Students learned about the artist Charles McGee and we discussed his artwork. We discussed how we’d be utilizing the elements of art, line, shape, and form to create our sculptures. Then students received a sheet of copy paper with 4 lines pre-drawn and photocopied for the class.
Then using a black sharpie marker, students drew a different pattern in each section, creating 5 sections.
DAY 2
Then on day 2, students cut out each section with scissors.
Students then flipped over each strip, and folded back the ends. They then glued the flaps with a glue stick and positioned the flaps on a piece of 8×8” white cardstock paper and pressed for 5 seconds. Students could place each strip wherever they wanted creating height by placing the flaps closer together, and then gluing on other sections on top of previous ones. They had a lot of fun creating these fun and interesting sculptures!
COFFEE FILTER FLOWER
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.
ART SHOUT OUTS #5!
HAPPY SUMMER BREAK EVERYONE!!
PHEW!
WE MADE IT!!!
I never would have thought this is how the school year would end, and I’m sure all you teachers out there (AND PARENTS!!) thought the same.
Our official last day of school was Monday June 22nd. Going into school on June 10th wearing a mask and gloves, to close out out my classroom for the summer and sort through supplies felt so surreal. It was like walking into a time capsule from that last day we were all there on Friday March 13th. Unfinished projects were still in the drying rack, my examples were still up on the board for the following day, and notes to myself on my desk were still there for the following week of March.
BUT….. we made it through! We all figured it out, and I’m very proud of my students and how they rose to the challenge with remote learning.
Here are the final “Art Shout Outs” from learning remotely during these past 3+ months of school closure. As well as a few pics from the last day of school’s 5th grade clap out celebration!
GRADES K-2 ELEMENTARY VISUAL ART ACTIVITIES: I CAN CREATE WITH: STICKS!
In this Google slide, students could watch a 6 minute video on the book “STICKS” written and illustrated by Diane Alber.
If you’ve never read this story to your students or kids, I highly recommend it. I have and love, many of her books. Her stories are great and help open up discussions about empathy, kindness, perseverance, and fitting in.
Amazon writes; “Sticks is a story that almost anyone can relate to. It’s about finding yourself in a situation that didn’t turn out like you expected and having your friends and family help you find he courage to pick yourself back up and persevere.”
Next to the video, we added 6 different photos of artwork created using popsicle sticks. From dragonflies, to rainbows and clouds, to bird feeders and people, animals and airplanes… kids were encouraged to create whatever they wanted, using sticks!
Below are some screen shots taken from a video sent to me from one of my 2nd grade students! He designed a really cool plane and decorated the sticks and paper for wings with markers.
POPSICLE STICK AIRPLANE BY PRANEETH J. 
Nick created this super sweet popsicle stick rainbow with clouds below!
GRADES 3-5 ELEMENTARY VISUAL ART ACTIVITIES: I CAN CREATE MY OWN ART MATERIALS AND USE THEM TO PRODUCE ARTWORK
So for this slide, we included a 2 minute video link to watch the “science of art materials” to give kids a better understanding on how art materials are made, a simple recipe on how to make your own air dry clay, and then 3 short videos; how to paint with mud, paint with coffee, and how to make your own sidewalk chalk from home!
Students loved experimenting with creating their own art materials!
GRADES K-2 ELEMENTARY VISUAL ART ACTIVITIES: SUMMER FUN! SELECT ONE TO COMPLETE: ICE PAINTING, DRAW AN ICE CREAM CONE, CREATE YOUR OWN AIRPLANE!
For this slide we included the following; a 50 second video on ice cube painting, how to draw an ice cream cone in 9 simple steps, and a short video on how to make a paper airplane. This was the last week of art activity suggestions, and we wanted to keep it really simple, fun and summery!
Praneeth sent me another fun video on how he created his airplane and also a super fun slow-mo video on his plane and his brothers plane flying! Below are some screen shots taken from that video.
GRADES 3-5 ELEMENTARY VISUAL ART ACTIVITIES: ARTIST’S CHOICE! SELECT ONE TO COMPLETE! POINT OF VIEW LANDSCAPE, RE-DESIGN A LOGO, OR TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR AT THE MET.
Point of view landscape- draw what you see when you look out your window! We included a pic of a landscape drawing as well as a seascape drawing in this google slide as examples.
Below is a drawing Taylor sent me of her viewpoint looking out her window to her back yard!
Re-design a Logo; We posted 7 different logos to look at in this section of the slide for ideas. Kids had the option of selecting one of those 7, or select one of their own, and to change the colors, image or font!
Although I have no art to show for this art activity suggestion, the last activity choice was to go online and take a virtual tour at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for kids. Kids were asked to “hop in the time machine” for some interesting art exploration! Click on the link to check it out!
More lovely art sent to me from my students!
Artwork by Maggie S.
And now for a few pics from the last day of school “5th grade clap out celebration”! …
To those of you reading this that aren’t teachers, students or parents from the North Attleboro school district, normally on the last day of school we line up the hallways inside the school, and all the 5th graders walk down the hall while teachers and staff clap, cheer and hi-five the kids to celebrate their last day at the school. Of course with Covid-19 and social distancing, that had to change. So all the teachers and staff lined up outside the school, 6 feet apart, wearing masks, while families drove by as we all cheered and clapped. It felt so nice to have positive closure for such a bizarre year. And of course it was so nice to see my 5th graders one more time before the school year was over. I’ll miss them!! If any of you guys are reading this, I wish you all the best of luck!! Keep creating, and please stay in touch!
Unfortunately, I forgot to snap pics at Amvet but managed to remember to pull out my phone at Roosevelt later that morning! Some pics below were taken by other staff as well.
I’m excited summer break is here, as I’m sure all of you are too!!
Enjoy, relax, and have fun!!
Looking forward to seeing you all in the fall!!