Wrapping up our first projects for the year

We are four weeks in now that we have hit Labor Day weekend and we have a lot to show for it! Everyone has a portfolio, all classes are in Class Dojo, seating charts have been learned, and art making is happening! In fact, most classes started project #2 this week. Our focus across all grade levels for our first 9 weeks is experimenting with the 7 elements of art, in different ways with each grade.

Kindergarten artists carried on our tradition of making illustrations for Mo Willems' book Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, using combined geometric shapes and learning to use watercolors. They love it every year, and I love connecting literacy.

First and second graders were the first to start pet portraits for our #petpARTners project, which will raise awareness of our local animal shelter, FurKids Atlanta. We are using observation skills, like looking for shapes, to draw the animals from the shelter. We will be posting these online through our social networks and around some local businesses this year. Artists help solve problems in their community!

Second graders read the book Ish by Peter H. Reynolds to give them confidence - pet drawings don't have to be perfect, they can be dog-ish or cat-ish! Love the message in this book.

Third graders also read an inspiring Reynolds book, The Dot. Like Vashti, the main character, we made lots of different kind of dots, but we combined ours into a single artwork unlike Vashti's multiple artworks of single dots. 

Fourth grade created beautiful Starburst designs with a 3-D quality. We followed the steps found on the ilovethatteachingidea.com site. Such eye-popping designs!

Fifth graders also tried an optical illusion drawing, filling vertical rows with contrasting line patterns, giving a look of motion and form. Craftsmanship skills were stressed for achieving an effective illusion.

Now it is time to get these beauties up in the halls for all to see! 

Thanks for stopping by! Back to the planning book...