Celebrating International Dot Day 2015

Student work with tint

It always seems like the first of the year crawls to a start.  First there are all the logistics to work out with classes.   Then you introduce and lesson and finally in week three, you might have a few students who are turning in completed projects.  I am so thankful to finally make it to week three and a few completed projects!  International Dot Day is always my go to for the first project of the year.  The timing is terrific and the possibility of multiple ideas across the grade levels is an easy.  This year 5th grade students reviewed and demonstrated an understanding of color mixing to create value.  Some chose to make tints and some chose shades, painting their dots in any pattern as long as value was evident.

Student work with shade

4th grade student's Elements Dot

 Fourth grade students reviewed an understanding of the Elements of Art.  Their challenge was a bit more creative in that they needed to apply their knowledge of the elements to their dot.  They could incorporate them into the design of their dot or they could simply illustrate evidence of knowledge of what they were.  The end results were a range of interpretations.  Here are a few of those:

3rd grade vanGogh

4th grade student's Elements Dot

3rd grade movement dot

3rd grade vanGogh

3rd grade vanGogh

Third grade students discovered the work of Vincent vanGogh as they developed work for International Dot Day.  Their challenge was to show movement in their work and illumination.  They could approach the subject either abstractly or realistically.  They quickly discovered that their use of line and the direction of line as well as color would assist them as they created their dots.

Second grade student explored symmetry for their dot projects.  Some students drew and colored for symmetry and other classes cut symmetry.  

2nd grade symmetry 

2nd grade cut symmetry

2nd grade symmetry

2nd grade symmetry

2nd grade drawing symmetry

traditional style color wheel

1st grade color wheel

1st grade color wheel

First grade students explored design possibilities using the color wheel.  They first explored the many color wheels evident in the art room and discussed the commonality among them answering the question "What makes it a color wheel?"  Once they had determined the order of the colors of the color wheel and why there was an order they set off to create their own interpretation of a color wheel.  Here are a few of their original color wheels.  

Each project was completed when it included an artist statement which was published with the work on Artsonia.  You can view our galleries here  and here. Now we are off and running in the art room and eager to create art in a variety of ways.  Hello new school  year!!!

Back to School with International Dot Day Projects

We just completed our first week of school, 2 1/2 days with the students and we are off and running with projects for International Dot Day.  My teaching focus for this year will be writing artist statements using great artistic vocabulary and connecting and understanding the Elements of Art.  My older classes experienced a few AHa moments as we reviewed the elements of art and reflected on how our art making projects had incorporated multiple elements throughout their years. The students caught on as they began to remind me of their favorite projects and what they had done to represent the various elements.  The big one was Form and the realization their clay projects from previous years were classified as forms. I planned to have each grade connect to the elements in a conscience way with their "Dot" compositions.  The one on the left is from a fourth grade student.  The assignment was to demonstrate space in their composition.  We review past concepts of placement on the page, overlap and size to show space.  The small works (4" x 4 1/2) were then framed in a swirly frame as in the book "The Dot" by by Peter H. Reynolds.
I will share other projects as they are completed.  Fifth grade students are being challenged to create a composition that will reflect three of the Elements.  They will then write an artist statement defending their choices and explaining why they chose the Elements.  Third grade students are creating a dot based on something they might have experienced during the summer based on the dot shape.  I was particularly amused by some of the ideas they came up with for their dot.  I will share when they are completed, you must see the ferris wheel!  Second graders have turned their dot into a symmetrical image reflecting positive and negative spaces as they practiced effective use of scissors.  First grade classes have analyzed color mixing, some by creating a dot only colored with the primary colors and others by designing an original color wheel.  They used the primary colors to mix the secondary colors on the wheel.  I am hoping to have bulletin boards full of dots by September 15th for International Dot Day and prior to Meet the Teacher night.