Van Gogh Sunflowers

 

If you don't know about the Art of Ed website, you don't know what you are missing! They have wonderful lesson plans. One that I really like to do with my kindergarten and first graders is Van Gogh Sunflowers click here for your free download. While there check out what else they have!

I start off this lesson by showing my students a photo of Dali's Basket of Bread. We talk about how we can see the basket, however we can't feel the texture of the basket. Then I pass a wicker basket around for students to feel. We then continue the discussion of texture you can feel and texture you can see. I show students some examples that I made of visual texture on a board along with the actual texture next to it.

 I read them van Gogh and the Sunflowers. I also share a calendar of van Gogh's art where the photos are large enough to see the wonderful texture in his work.

Then I take them step by step through the directions. They glue the black paper to the bottom of the orange paper. I did change out the directions for the vase as I showed them how to fold the paper to make it symmetrical.

 

 I encouraged students to try ripping the paper, but not everyone was happy with that concept.

 

 

 We used a glue stick for most of the gluing and liquid glue for the tissue paper and seeds.

 

 And of course, children were instructed to sign their name along the middle of the vase, just like van Gogh.

Still loving the storyboard presentation. Have any of you tried teaching your lesson with a storyboard?

Museum Styled Centers

Happy 2018 everyone!
I completely powered-down during my 2 week winter break. I read, I watched Hallmark movies and I went to Nashville for a few cold days over New Year's Eve.

Besides the wonderful opportunity to visit my son and see his new house I LOVE to visit the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. Which happens to be about 5 minutes down the road from his new home.

They have this incredible interactive room for children of ALL ages. And I believe many of the activities in this area would make for some incredible centers in our art rooms.

 This is a good way to learn about Abstract Art. You start off by drawing the way something looks, then you draw a simplified version of the object and then draw it exaggerated.

 What a great way to learn about public art. Display a photo of your school and have students create a sculpture for the front of the building or perhaps somewhere in the playground.

 This looks very easy to set up and I have found some really great mirrors in my local dollar store.

 Unfortunately not everyone has the room for a life size mannequin, but an area with several small mannequins would work out just as well. (BTW those are my 3 of my grandchildren from a few years ago. They loved the place so much they wouldn't tell me they were hungry because they didn't want to leave.)

 Texture plates are pretty easy to find in the School Specialty catalog. Or pretty much any other school supply company.

 I have often managed to get foam shapes from an elementary math coach,  otherwise you can cut out your own. Or have a volunteer cut some for you. Use foam or laminated paper. Maybe put magnets on the back and get some metal baking sheets.

 Set out a basket of objects for students to draw and have them draw the subject and the background.

 An animation center could be set up with iPads that have animation apps. Not too experienced with that and would need to do research. Could be fun!

 Printmaking. While that set up is rather elaborate I'm sure something on a small scale could be done.

 Watercolor. This can be set up on a table to accommodate 4-8 students.

 These shapes reminded me of Matisse cut outs. I believe these were here to assemble. But I can see them being used to inspire Matisse style art.

 

 They also had an area to explore the current Nick Cave exhibit. With a make and take. Which I took and I can't wait to do a lesson with my students about his sound suits!

I didn't include all the wonderful activities that were available as some spaces were hard to get to.

  

Turns out they will be redoing this area soon and and can't wait to get back to see it!

Centers in the art room is a great way to continue learning for those students who finish early. If you would like to see more ideas for centers visit my TPT site here for my free list of Art Centers for Extended Learning.  One of these days I might actually add to the list........ The Hallmark movies aren't helping my productivity..........

Hope you all have a wonderful new year! I still have lots of lessons to share and I'm pretty excited that I now have over 140,000 page views!!

Thanks for Reading!