4th grade Upcycled Robots

3rd grade Weaving

We looked at the art from various cultures who weave. Students built a cardboard loom and learned about the warp and weft.  This was a challenging but rewarding fiber art project.

5th grade life cycle clay tile mural with visiting artist

5th grade students from the 2012-2013 class worked with visiting artist Ileana Barbou to create a public art piece for Crest View Elementary.  The 5th grade classes each created a relief clay tile piece inspired by the theme of life cycles.  Students learned new techniques while also integrated their classroom studies of plant life cycles.

Visiting Fiber Artist Julie Ireland

All 4th grade students worked with visiting fiber artist, Julie Ireland, to create an amazing community quilt map. The quilt will be on display at the Dairy Center for the Arts and is now a public art piece in our school which represents strength in community. We titled this Crest View Strong. 

2nd grade Wild Things Printmaking Project

This project uses Styrofoam printmaking material. After reading Where The Wild Things Are,by Maurice Sendak each student did 4 thumbnail drawings in their sketchbook in order to design their own original wild thing print. They use their favorite one to press into the foam to later make prints. We started our printmaking this week and will continue printing  over the course of two classes.  

We the use of line and shape.  I encouraged kids to use lots of line to create texture which make the final prints more interesting to view.   Students were introduced to the concept of texture in visual arts which is the perceived surface quality of a work of art. It is an element of two-dimensional and three-dimensional designs and is distinguished by its perceived visual and physical properties. Use of texture, along with other elements of design, can convey a variety of messages and emotions. They had a lot of fun with this project and it was a fantastic way to teach texture.

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.

4th grade Totem Pole Collages

Students learned about the significance of totem poles and that they were and still are made by native tribes who lived in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. 

The big word for this project was stylize. We learned that some artists stylize their work by changing shapes, colors, etc. in order to give their work their own personal touch. Each student created one stylized animal in the style of a real totem pole. 

Kindergarten Ground Hogs see their shadow!

We read some books about Ground Hogs day and learned how the holiday originated.  Students learned about shadows and how they are formed by the sun.  This is a very advanced concept for kindergarten students but I am pleasantly surprised by the outcomes.