Kindergarten - Dice Monsters

To celebrate Halloween in a unique way, kindergarten played a game I call "Dice Monsters."  I've seen a bunch of variations before, but basically our version works like this:

I put dice in small condiment containers with a clear lid, then assign a facial feature to each number on the die.  The kindergartners shake their cup and see what number pops up, and that tells them what to add to their face.  A one is an eye.  A two is a nose.  A three is a mouth.  A four is an ear.  A five is a horn.  A six is wild.

The kids have an absolute blast with this project and love to share their crazy monster faces.  Here are a few shots of them in action:

3rd Grade - Ink Monsters

Stefan Bucher's Daily Monster channel on YouTube is the inspiration for this project with 3rd grade.  Also something we've been doing in my room for a long time, I probably enjoy this as much as the kids do.

We spend the first class trying to figure out how Bucher makes his monsters just by looking at his finished art work.  Then, I spread some ink on their papers using a toothbrush, and the third graders use a straw to blow the ink around and make a funky shape.  Then our job is to use that shape as part of a monster we make up.  Maybe the shape is hair or feathers or a mouth or something.

By the end, we take it step further by making up some context for the project.  We fill out a questionnaire asking a bunch of random questions that prove the third graders are thinking about their artwork beyond just what it looks like.

5th and 6th Grade - More Choice Projects from 1st Quarter

The 5th and 6th graders have been churning out new projects pretty much daily, and I've done a poor job updating the blog.  Here are few more examples from 1st quarter.  I'll update what we've done in the last few weeks here shortly.

4th Grade - Op Art

I like this project for a variety of reasons, but it's one of the only mostly-technical projects I do in my classroom for a reason.  Teaching skills is a valuable part of the art experience through each grade, but I like to add a little more abstract thinking into each lesson.  The next time you see this project, it may be in a very different form.  Stay tuned.

This project focuses on using curved lines and value to create a sense of space.  We follow a specific process to make the lines, then open it up to more student choice with how and where they add color.  Take a look at some stellar examples.

Kindergarten - Pastel Resist

Here's a simple lesson to get kindergarten introduced to line vocabulary and - even more exciting! - watercolor paint.  We spent a few classes practicing making and identifying lines with a variety of things (our bodies, string, and so on), before busting out the oil pastels and paints.  We work together to draw a variety of different lines on the paper, then spend the next week painting over them for a finished resist.  Here are a few great examples from the little ones.