Patterned Elephant

After giving mid year assessments to my students, I realized that I needed to review some concepts that didn't take hold the first time. I also figured out that some of my questions were setting me up for failure.
One of the questions on my exam was: How do we make patterns?
                                              a-with lines and shapes  b-with lines
                                              c-with shapes or  d-with crayons

Lots of students make patterns with crayons.............. Silly me!!

My patterned elephant lesson would not only review patterns but also include values of gray.

   

 The Elmer book above is a perfect story for this lesson. I modeled how to draw an elephant using the steps from the drawing sheet above. Which is from the book Little Kids Draw. We talked about what happens when you mix white to a color and how we can make the color grey by adding a little black to the color white. And depending on our recipe of how much black and white we used we could get different values or shades of that color.  One routine that I practice when we paint is that they don't get a paintbrush until I see their name on the paper. We have also practiced lining up and placing wet art in the drying racks.

My kindergarten and 1st graders drew, mixed their color and painted their elephants and with clean up we were done with part one of this lesson.

I managed to do this lesson and paint with my students on Wednesday to Friday before I went on medical leave. So directions for my Monday & Tuesday students were different. I really don't want a sub painting with students when I'm out. They traced an elephant onto gray paper, divided their elephants into 5-7 sections and started to add patterns to their sections. They had the sheet below to inspire their designs. I made several of those collages using an assortment of wallpapers.

 Week 2 students on Wednesday-Friday heard another Elmer story (there is a whole series of them). They were to divide their elephant into sections and make a different pattern in each section. They used the sheet above to inspire their designs on their painted elephants.

 

 

The above elephants were done years ago-as I'm not there to take photos. I also forgot to get photos of my samples. Sorry. When students finished their patterns, they were encouraged to create a background for their elephant. Monday and Tuesday students also had a story read to them and were instructed to do a background on a separate piece of paper, then cut out and glue their elephant to it.

Gotta say I'm home exactly one week and I'm going crazy....... Missing my students and my art room......... No ones gets how to teach art and subs don't understand how to follow directions........
Sigh........

BY THE WAY THIS IS MY 100th POST!!!!!!!

Thanks for reading!

Getting Published

 Getting published is EXCITING!! I know I shared recently that I had Clip Cards published in School Arts Magazine in November and December. WELL, I also had one published in this month's issue.

 

I thought I would share that lesson.
Reading a book always works for me to motivate my students. In this case when it comes to rainbows I have two different books I like to share.

 

A Rainbow of My Own can be purchased from Amazon click here.
Pete's Rainbow I purchased at a museum gift shop when I was in Ireland. I did find it at Amazon.co.uk  here.

After reading the book, I modeled the steps for them and stated my expectations.

 

It's not a lesson that should take a long time. And it would make a good lesson to leave with a substitute teacher. They did a really nice job!

   

I love when a lesson combines concepts. And I really like doing pattern related lessons with them. Adding patterns to art work adds interest and depth to the work. I guess that's why my other two clip cards also involved patterns.

 

 

Anyway, in reviewing the EOC's my students took at the end of the last school year I noticed I didn't focus as much on comparing differences and similarities across various cultures. I have included a resource from Nancy Walkup, editor of School Arts Magazine that would be wonderful in teaching patterns. Even if all you share are the magnificent photographs. I believe this lesson would also be very valuable in opening up a dialog about how different cultures can be compared and contrasted.

The article is from SCHOOLARTSROOM.COM Understanding the Art of Islam.

Oh and since I'm sharing my published articles, the first article I had published was in the October 2007 issue of School Arts Magazine.

 Then in October 2010, under Managing the Art Room.

And December 2010.

 The links will get you to the magazine and the table of contents will get you to the articles. Really need to find time to do MORE articles. And remember School Arts Magazine is always looking for articles from us art teachers. Click here for their guidelines.

I am curious as to whether any of you out there has a lesson you were like to get published? Please feel free to bounce those ideas off me!

Thanks for reading!

Paisleys Are Perfect

 Found this awesome book at a new store in the neighborhood  5 and Below, it cost me $5 and I knew it would inspire many lessons. The first of which was the page on drawing paisleys.

I did this lesson with my 1st and 2nd graders. I did a quick review with my students on different lines, the direction a line might go in and how to use lines to create patterns.  I have noticed in the past that many of my students don't have the vocabulary words for the different patterns found on clothing. They also don't understand when I refer to something as being a solid color. I felt this lesson would be a wonderful time to introduce some of those words.  The fabric samples below either came from my stash or were purchased at JoAnne's Fabric. Students enjoyed learning about fabric and textiles and I got to teach them a bunch of NEW words!!

 Many of the older students saw this on the board and want to know when they would be doing this.  I just might pull this together and leave it for a sub to do with them.

 

 I photocopied the page on the right from the book to use as inspiration. Students did have tracers for the shape of the paisleys. They had a small, medium and large paisley shapes they could use. The paisleys need to float on the paper not overlap and placement was their choice.

 

 

 

   

 When they finish drawing them, they started to outline them with black Sharpies. Next time they will use watercolors to paint their paisleys.

Thought I was reaching a little on this lesson. However, they did an awesome job considering how young they are. 

Had PLC training on Tuesday. It was overwhelming and a bit confusing. Basically Art along with Music and P.E. are considered Interdisciplinary PLCs and we can collaborate on standards and common assessments to create a goal. Not worthy of a full blog post. Totally not the fun part of teaching!

Would love to know what lessons you teach for patterns!

Thanks for reading!!
And if you teach in Florida and are planning to attend the conference next month I will be doing a workshop on using museum activities in your art room titled Look! Listen! And Learn! And a presentation on blogging titled Born to Blog. Hope to meet you there!