Unit 1 Me, Myself and I
Unit 1: Me, Myself and I
Our first unit of inquiry this year is "Me, Myself and I". The first lesson focused on our similarities and differences and how those make us who we are. In this lesson, each student was given a little cup of liquid watercolor in a primary color. Then as their groups found similarities they would each pour a little of their paint into the same empty cup and make a new color for the group. Then they each created an "artwork about me" using the colors they had on their table.
Not only was this activity a great way to get to know each other we were able to talk about how our similarities and differences make us an important part of the class.
Self-Portraits
In 1st-5th grade we have been exploring self-portraits of many well know artists. The students discovered that a self-portrait can tell us much more about the artist than just how they look. We looked for "clues" in the portraits that could tell us more about the artist's life and found out many interesting facts about their lives.
We then started our own self-portraits using recycled materials. We talked about what "clues" they may want to include in their own portraits that can tell about who they are or who they want to become.
First Grade Self-Portraits
1st Grade
First grade reviewed basic features of the face such as nose, eyes, mouth and ears. They then thought about details of the face which could include: eyelashes, eyebrows, teeth, etc. They practiced their cutting and pasting skills as they used collage in their backgrounds.
2nd Grade
Second grade also reviewed basic features of the face and details that could give the viewer clues to who the portrait was. They thought about what mood they would like to convey in their portraits and how to project that mood by facial expressions and background color choices.
3rd Grade
Third graders used paper collage to construct their self portraits. They chose colors to reflect the mood they wanted to portray instead of realistic colors.
4th Grade
Forth graders also used paper collage to construct their self-portraits. They chose colors to reflect the mood they wanted to portray instead of realistic colors. They explored using texture to create more excitement and depth to their work.
5th Grade
The 5th Grade class learned how to draw their face using correct proportions. They were able to achieve much more realistic renderings of themselves by following some basic proportion guidelines. They then used used images from magazines or paper scapes to make a background that is representational of them.
I Can Use Art to Express My Emotions
Today in 1st-5th grade art class we felt many emotions by listening to instrumental music that displayed strong moods (such as happy, scary, exciting, and tranquil). We learned that music and visual art can invoke many emotions. The children used elements of art (such as color and line) to express their feelings. The students had the opportunity to experiment using two different techniques to express how they were feeling; oil pastel drawings and finger painting gelli prints.
The children all agreed that the gelli prints were their favorite technique and requested the recipe to make it at home! As promised, here's the link to the recipe for making your own gelli plate at home :)
Guatemala Heritage Week Weaving
To celebrate Guatemala heritage the art students explored the importance of textiles and weaving in Guatemala. We read the book, "Abuela's Weave" which is about a young Guatemalan-Mayan girl, her grandmother and their beautiful handmade textiles. The students were able to touch and even try on traditional Mayan textiles. We discussed the significance of some of the woven symbols and how they are markers of cultural identity.
Each grade created colorful weaving projects of their own. We all found these weaving project to be very relaxing and fun.
