Saturday, October 20, 2012

Color Wheels and Pumpkin Patches!

One last post for the weekend as I share some other ongoing projects my kids are working on currently...

I hate to say it, but besides the anti-bullying photo slogans...my 5th graders still haven't completed their first project!  Sometimes I get frustrated with the fact that I choose lengthy projects for the older kids to complete...but then I always forget that frustration when they end up doing an amazing job on it!  Plus, it doesn't help that the 1/2 day screwed up our schedule...and, in the upcoming week, I will miss two classes of 5th grade due to an assembly and a field trip!  I do also think I was being a little pickier in the objects/symbols they drew to use for their color wheel template.  Last year, I had a lot of student who did the first letter of their name, or their jersey number, which was okay but boring.  This year I made the stipulation that no one could do the same symbol on their color wheel and some kids chose to drag out the process of designing their symbol because of that.

Anyways, my 5th graders are working on color wheels right now...I've seen this project lots of places and I did do it last year as well.  I am doing one thing differently this year...I will be incorporating the complementary colors into their color wheels as well.  Yesterday, one class of fifth grade finally got to the stage where they are cutting out and gluing their color wheels together.  I'll probably give them two more class periods to finish and that's it...

Before they started their painted color wheels, we spent a class reviewing primary and secondary colors, and I taught them how to mix the tertiary/intermediate colors.  Everyone made one of these paper plate color wheels.  I plan on keeping them at school for the duration of the year so students can make notes on them as needed, or use them for reference as we continue learning about color theory.

Here are three almost finished projects...the circles on the right will be basketballs...in the center hearts, and on the left, basketball jerseys with the student's number.  After we get them glued to black paper, I will have the students draw their design details onto the shapes.  Everyone will be required to paint an aspect of each shape with the appropriate complementary color and then add line details in black Sharpie.

More in the process art!

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Continuing with one of my last posts, I continued my pumpkin patch unit with my 1st graders.  We talked about how to create depth in our artwork by changing the size of our pumpkins and using horizon lines.  First I had students get up and stand on one side of the art room.  I had two volunteers go stand in the middle and at the other end.  We talked about how the students looked (the one that was closer looked bigger, even though they are the same size).  Then we looked at the trees outside the classroom compared to the trees across the road.  Then I did a demonstration on the board and had students draw along with me.  I let them add details to their practice drawings and then I passed out black construction paper for them to redraw on and make changes as they saw fit.  Lastly, we outlined with white pastels.  Next class I will teach them how to blend the pastels to add color.









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I just wanted to share this picture...this little guy comes to art with a 12:1:1 class.  He is VERY bright and a perfectionist.  We did some marshmallow painting during class and at the end, we had time left, so we reviewed the primary and secondary colors.  This was the drawing he did with his secondary colors...I haven't introduced the concept of depth and overlapping yet because I'm not sure they will understand yet, but he does! I had a hard time getting him lined up because he didn't want to finish!



1 comment:

  1. What a treasure your little guy is - I love teaching art because it is such a joy watching children who start without a clue grow and develop in ability and confidence. But every now and then a student comes along who has 'it', and that is really special! :)

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