1st Grade

Rollercoasters

Students explore the properties of paper. How can they make it stand up. How can they twist and fold the paper. How will they secure the paper. Connections are made to the paper as a line- what kinds of lines will be created? curvy, zig zag, loopy...

Pipe Cleaner Sculptures

Students begin to identify the properties of a sculpture: it is 3d, it can be viewed from more than one side, it must balance. We look at the differences between paper and pipecleaners. Pipecleaners bend and stay in that position whereas paper will flop if not secured. Students can add styrofoam, packing peanuts and cardboard to add interest.

Life size self portraits

The face: Students are asked to consider the shapes that make up the different parts of the face. They also have to think about size, placement and color when developing their self portraits. They are asked to think about where they may need to use overlapping when creating a feature. ie the eye has 3 layers of color with shapes decreasing in size. Hair is always a challenge to overcome. Some students choose to create expressions for an added bonus!

The body: What will you be wearing? A fancy outfit, pajamas, a costume? The choices are endless. Students then need to consider what shapes they will need to represent the different parts of their bodies and how large they will be in comparison with their heads. How will they connect the parts. How will they represent their hands and feet.

Alien Collage

Students use their imaginations to create these alien collages. What will their alien have? Where will it live? What kind of atmosphere will it live in? How will it get around? As always with collage, students further explore cutting, gluing and overlapping while thinking about how they can describe their imaginary worlds and what their aliens might need to survive in the place they have created.

Hundertwasser collage

Students begin this lesson by creating their own unique papers while exploring color mixing and texture. Students use tempera paint to create 8 squares: the primary colors: red, yellow and blue. the secondary colors: green, purple and orange. brown and then they must lighten a color using white. Different brushstrokes and techniques are also examined as they manipulate the paints. In the second week students use these papers plus other unique papers to create these colorful buildings. Students look at and discuss works by the German artist Hundertwasser before creating their own unique places.

Wild things

Inspiration comes from Maurice Sendack' Where the Wild Things Are. As we read the book students are asked to look closely at the Wild things depicted. How does the artist show texture? What makes them unique? Do they have 6 legs, wings, 2 heads? There are no limits to the possibilities... horns, fangs, wings, or claws what features will their Wild Thing have. Students are asked to build their Wild Things using one piece construction. This means every detail will be pinched and pulled from one main block of clay. No attaching is necessary but student have to conside how much to pull and when to stop so the clay does not become to thin. They have to consider how their Wild Thing will balance and how they will create texture for fur, scales or feathers.

Where Are the Wild Things?

Now that you have created your Wild Things consider where would your Wild Things live. Would it be a rocky place, would their be water or caves. Students are asked to brainstorm different kinds of landforms. Where will you have to make tall parts? Low parts? Will you pinch, pull or poke the clay to create these effects? If you attach features, how will you make them strong? Students are reminded of blending techniques. Lastly, textures are once again considered.

Clay Self Portrait relief

In this lesson students not only have to think about the parts of their face and placement but also about the depth and roundness of their face. What parts of their face stick out or go in? Where will they pinch or poke the clay? Will they add on clay? Will they use tools or just their fingers? How will they create a skintone, their hair color? How is creating colors for these things different from our self portrait collages?

3d Circus

Students are inspired by the book Olivia Saves the Circus by Ian Falconer. As a group we brainstorm different things they might build for their circus. Students are then challenged to create their own 3d circus thinking about how they will make paper stand up and strong enough to support their ideas

Recycled Sculpture

Students combine and alter recycled materials to create these 3d sculptures. They are challenged to think about how they will put the forms together and how they will add support where needed. They then use paper mache with construction paper to add color to their pieces.

Under the Sea-Resist

Students are inspired by the National Geographic Society Real Wild Animals Series where they explore the Great Barrier Reef and all the fantastic underwater creatures. Students then work to create their own underwater scenes using a resist technique where watercolor paints are washed over oil pastels that resist the paint from reaching the paper. Students are challenged to create a school of at least 3 fish, have a place where overlapping is used and have a fish swim off or on the page.

School of Fish styrofoam print

Students create these imaginative fish prints using styrofoam and Portfolio water soluable oil pastels. After studying a number of natures more interesting fish. They begin to think about what makes a fish a fish, what sre the features they all share and where do they vary. They also learn the basic ideas essential to printmaking. They learn that their fish will change directions when printed and that prints are greate for creating multiple copies of the same image.

Traffic Jam

Students begin this lesson by studying matchbox cars and thinking about how a more complex object can be broken down into smaller shapes. They brainstorm things they may see on their trip to school. Items like traffic signs, cars, buses, construction, buildings and trees are among ideas that come up during discussion. They then get started on their own traffic scenes. Some students choose their neighborhoods others make up their own traffic patterns. Each student begins with one matchbox car and deconstructs the shapes. After that other cars are often drawn and details are added to create their lively stories.

Butterflies

This lesson is done in conjunction with their classroom study of butterflies. Students are very proud to share all they know about butterflies. In art we focus on the idea that butterflies are symmetrical, meaning they are the same on both sides. We discuss how a piece of paper can be folded and then cut to create both sides at the same time. How many wings will you have to draw? Where will the body be placed? What will happen when we open the paper back up? Students then create their own butterflies and add detail using the resist technique. How can we make the desing symmetrical? Will you use a pattern? At the end of class we share our butterflies and I leave the students with the question-What are other things in the world that have symmetry?

last updated: Sept. 28, 2005
Questions or comments please email: khiltz@colonial.net