1st Grade using our imagination

We read the book, If the Dinosaurs Came Back, and students brainstorms how they thought dinosaurs could help people if they were alive today.  They drew form observation to create their dinosaur and also learned how to draw a cube shape in order to make  buildings look 3D.

1st grade Mad Science Artists!

First graders learned the difference between a form and a shape.  They learned how to turn a shape into a form.  Geometric shapes become geometric forms. Circles become spheres, triangles become cones, pyramids or triangular prisms.  We used observation to draw various science beakers.  We talked about  transparent and translucent.  I added the color-mixing/wet-on-wet painting portion to add more science to the mix. Students drew lines for their liquid which we then filled in with secondary colors learning to mix the primary colors.  The next part of the project involved creating bubbles for our backgrounds using chalk pastel.  I found this project idea online, the kids did a great job.  This was more of a lesson on skill and technique (observational drawing, color mixing, and watercolor paints) rather than creativity

If the Dinosaurs Came Back.

We read the book If The Dinosaurs Came Back. Each child chose a real type of dinosaur to draw and then cut it out to place it in a landscape or cityscape that they drew for their backgrounds. 1st  graders finished the sentence "If the dinosaurs came back they would...."

1st grade Lascaux Cave Painting

This project is great for first grade. The simplistic drawing style of Paleolithic people connects well to 1st graders who naturally have a simple feel to their artwork and that style translates perfectly to this project.

Though examples of cave art have been found all around, the most famous is the work in Lascaux, France. We took a virtual tour of the  cave complex that students loved to watch. Students chose a prehistoric animal to draw using oil pastels. The final touch was adding a hand print for the final signature.

1st grade winter landscapes

To bring in the new year and celebrate the winter season first grade created winter landscapes. They learned  what a landscape is and how it differs from a still life and a portrait.  We discussed how objects in the distance get smaller as they are farther away.  They used sharpie to outline and bring out their bare branch trees and watercolor paint for their skies.

1st grade Faith Ringgold Story Quilts

We read Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold each student made a paper story quilt using a pattern for their borders.  They drew a picture of themselves flying over people important to their lives or places they dream of going to or enjoy.

1st grade Why is Blue Dog Blue?

Well the truth is sometimes 1st grade paints blue dog....

This is a square 1 Art project.  We read the book Why is Blue Dog Blue, by George Rodrigue.  Student learned how to draw a dog using basic shapes.  We talked about how color can represent different ideas and feeling.

Cave Drawings

First grade is working on a project in which they studied the paleolithic cave paintings from Lascaux in France. We went on a  virutal tour of Lascaux.The caves were found by accident in 1940.  Paleolithic artists mainly drew pictures of animals they hunted. These pictures were engraved on to pieces of bone or antler, or painted and carved on cave walls and rock faces.   Students tried to replicate ancient rock paintings by tearing the edges of the paper and crumpling the paper. They used oil pastel to color their drawings.

1st grade landscape collages

Friday's 1st grade started this project and most finished. We reviewed collage and talked about landforms in our front range landscape. Students tore paper into shapes to create a landscape of their own. They learned about background, middle ground and foreground. Their goal was to create a landscape with at least 3 different layers of landforms.

1st grade Matisse inspired Collages

1st Grade Arctic Animals

We learned about the bright dancing lights of the aurora borealis.  The lights are actually collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth's atmosphere. The lights are seen above the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres. They are known as Aurora borealis in the north.  We looked at photos of this amazing phenomenon.  We  talked about arctic animals and about their adaptations and  habitat.  Students learned a wet-on-wet water color technique using salt which they applied to their background to create a "northern light sky".  Children also learned how to draw a various animals which they drew using a photo for reference. They cut out their drawn animal and glued it onto the foreground of their paintings

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Dia de los Muertos!

1st grade made calavera masks to celebrate the Day of the Dead. They are learning about Mexico in their classrooms. We discussed the differneces between the Mexican Holiday of Dia de los Muertos to Halloween. Students cut out skull shapes and designed them focusing on line on pattern.  We looked at the work of other Mexican artists for inspiration.