Jasper Johns interpretation by 5th grade

 "Alphabet" by Jasper Johns was the piece used for inspiration.  

At a recent professional day experience, our group shared ideas for printmaking.   One of my colleagues shared a variation of this project.  She had planned the project as a color mixing experience for Kinders.  With a twist, I introduced it to 5th grade students who totally enjoyed the color review and the opportunity to add individualized touches to their work. 

Week one student were given tempera colors in the primaries and instructed to paint all the colors of the color wheel.  They were further told they could not mix colors on their pallets but instead had to mix right on the painting surface.  There were not specific instructions as to how the finished work should appear, only that it should be non-representational.

Week two students used tempera in the fluorescent primary colors to mix secondary colors and print using bubble wrap.  They did the mixing right on the bubble wrap.  Very messy, but they all seems to really enjoy the bubble mixing process. (Paint one primary on each end of a strip of bubble, fold and rub the two ends together to mix.)  At this step, they reviewed show colors "work" off one another and were reminded that complementary colors seem to "pop" when used together.  Personal choices were made as to where to place the different color prints.  As they completed this step, drawing paper was used along with any left over paint to practice painting letters and numbers using a flat paint brush.

Week three began with additional practice with the paint brush if students felt it would be beneficial.  They moved on to adding letters and numbers to their paintings.  I was delighted with the variety and the enthusiasm as students moved through this project.

A little like Jasper Johns

 First graders learned a little about the style of Jasper Johns this past couple of weeks and learned a little about folding as well.  Each student had 1/2 of a 9 x 11 piece o f paper.  They had to fold it in half making certain to line up the edges for a nice clean fold.  Then they folder the outsides to the center to end up with four rectangles.  I had used the school die cut machine to cut several of each of the letters of the alphabet and they were allowed to trace
 letters of choice.  Students were very clever
with their choices.  One selected letters to represent the first names of their family members.  Another chose letters to represent a favorite phrase and CONN was short for Conner.  Next they were introduced to complementary colors.  They were instructed to color three letters of their choice using the complementary combinations and once they were finished, I would share with them the

 instructions for the final letter.  For this one, they were given creative choice.  They were also encourage to trace their letters with creative choice for placement as well.  Those crooked and backwards letter were a choice. Jasper John did not make his numbers and letters align perfectly and we were not going to be encumbered by that strictness as well.  This really seemed to work with enforcing the complements as students performed well on a 2nd quarter assessment with questions about complementary colors.

Have you found these, yet?

I found these today at my local discount store and immediately bought a box of each.  My only disappointment was not finding a box of the orange hues.  I will definitely use these as teaching tools when working with values and tints or color families and warm and cool colors.  Love them!   Anybody else have any ideas for the new, nouveau, crayons?

Dr. Seuss

I always try to create a few project linking to Read Across America Day.  I begin by reading a Seuss book and then spiral off into a lesson in a few different ways.   I will share a few of those lessons over the next few days and follow up with photos of student works next week as we finish them up.

For Kinders a lesson using 

"One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish"

Materials:

2 - 9x12 pieces of paper (1 is taped to a firm surface where it will dry flat)

watercolors in warm and cool colors

black oil crayons

glue sticks

scissors

black construction paper for mounting

Week one - using warm or cool colors we create a patterned background.  Pattern is a big focus for kindergarten so I try to support their curriculum as much as possible.

Week two - I begin by have students follow along with me as we draw a fish.   I use my document camera for projecting on the wall for all students to easily follow along.

Using a black crayon or oil crayon,  here are the steps:

   Draw a large open "C" on the left of your paper
   Connect a large "V" with the point toward the right
   Connect a smaller "v" with the point touching the previous one with the opening facing right
   Close the small "v" with a small "c"
   Where the "v's" meet, add a smile on top and a frown on bottom to widen the space
   Add angles to the top of the fish and the bottom of the fish for fins both dorsal and pectoral
   Place a large oval near the front of the large "C" for an eye
   Place a smaller circle inside of the oval
   Personalize the fish with a smile, eyelashes fins, etc as desired
   Decorate the fish using lines in a variety of ways,  horizontal, vertical, zigzag, wavy, etc.

Students finish up by adding watercolor to their fish.   If their background uses warm colors, the fish is cool colors and vice-a-versa.  They really turn out beautiful, colorful and individual.

Finally, fish are cut out and glued onto the patterned paper from week one.  The finished project is glued onto a black mat before display.

At this point I'd like to mention the website Deep Space Sparkle because I think I initially found the ideals for this lesson on her sight a year or so ago, I don't know if I added my own twist or if this is the way she presented it.

A second grade Seuss lesson features the book 

"My Many Colored Days"

This book is about color and emotions.  I have color "people" that coordinate with the characters of the book.  After the reading, we review the colors and expand on what the colors might represent to the students.  I then share some cute monster teaching aides that I purchased that also reflect emotion through their face expressions.  Each student is then challenged to think of a color/emotion combination to use as they create their own Emotion Monster.   

Materials:

9x12 drawing paper
drawing pencils

sharpie markers

water based markers

construction paper

scissors

glue

Students will first brainstorm monsters on a scrap paper using pencils taking into consideration the facial emotions needed to match their color of choice.  Once final decisions have been made, monsters are drawn on 9 x 12 paper to fill the space using a pencil and then going over with a black sharpie. Color is added with water based markers and then "spritzed" with water to add a textural effect.  Monsters are cut out and attached to a colored paper of choice.  This could be complementary to the color of their monster.  The monsters are glue nearer to the top of the paper to leave room for a rectangle that will explain the emotion they are depicting.   Students will first share their monsters with classmates to determine if their color and expressions portray the emotion they had hoped.  Then a rectangle of white paper is created to show the word, in bubble letters that expresses their monster.  These are colored to match the emotion and glued into place below the monster.   I am using Kira Wiley's song "Colors" to accompany this lesson.  Here are the words:

A project that impresses

            Sol LeWitt inspired 3D sculptures

This is one of my favorite projects and it morphed out of a project on color theory.  Each year I have my fourth grade students demonstrate an understanding of Primary, Secondary, Complementary and Analogous color schemes by creating pattern papers.   After visiting a Sol LeWitt exhibit at Mass MOCA a few summers ago, I integrated the works of Sol LeWitt into the lesson, sharing with the students LeWitts's ability to create amazing works of art with very

basic color combinations.  We study his transitional styles and talk about his integration of math into his work.  Lastly, we share the fact that LeWitt creates the ideas for his works but the process is actually completed by other people.  The students find that to be a very fascinating fact.  

Last year I decided to take the papers and use them to extend the lesson and the sculptures are the end produce.   The papers are cut into triangular shapes, I created tracers that are used by my students.  The triangles are traced on the back of their paper and then cut apart.   Using a wood stylist, the triangles are then rolled into paper beads or tubes.   The tubes are then   glued to form angles.  So we have transgressed back to a math connection with the project. Taking two of the tubes at a time, students glue them to form right angles, acute angles and isolates triangles.  Every connection must form an angle.   The angles are glued to a poster board base about

4 1/2 x 6".  The sculpture is built both up and out with the focus on angle.   Anything is acceptable as long as it forms an angle.  Here are a variety of the completed projects.