Sunday, November 4, 2012

Lesson Planning: Artist's Block!

I'm sitting here trying to plan my lessons for the upcoming week and I am having really bad writers block...or artist's block? (It's so bad I can't even tell if I'm using the apostrophe correctly!)

Maybe it's because I'm on Pinterest project overload...or I'm rebelling against my pre-determined projects I decided on when I created my curriculum over the summer...but I'm having a hard time deciding what to do with my 2nd graders!  This exact outcome was one of the reasons I've hesitated in the past to create a curriculum with projects already picked out...I plan them months in advance, forget what I planned, have to look up my project influences, or the group of kids I have just isn't ready for the concepts I'm trying to teach!

This is where I'm having the problem with my 2nd grade group...in general it is a group with some low functioning/behavior issue students.  They are large classes and over half of them can't read on their own!  We just finished our Chihuly project where we talked about organic shapes and patterns...I'd like to move to a project that involves geometric shapes and reviews the primary and secondary colors.  I could go with a typical Mondrian project, but I'm doing Mondrian with my kindergartner's next and I don't want to over do it.

This is what I think I'm leaning towards...I saw this project over on the blog Art with Mr. Hall.  
I'm thinking I want my students to make a diptych...one side using primary colors and geometric shapes...the other side secondary colors and organic shapes...what do you think?  Good way to talk about abstract art, primary and secondary colors, organic and geometric shapes, balance of color, variety of shapes, etc.

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Fifth grade is my other difficult class.  They have taken FOREVER with the color wheel project...many of them still aren't done and they aren't of very good craftsmanship!  This has been "the dreaded group" since they were in Pre-K.  Again, it is a very large class with lots of behavioral and learning issues.  Since I introduced the complementary colors to them at the end of the color wheel project, I want to reinforce them so I am thinking of doing an op art project with them.

For some reason I am really into "-tychs" so I want them to make an op art triptych.  Each panel must use a different pair of complementary colors and each panel design must relate to each other. I am pulling various pictures from Pinterest to give them ideas on how they can design their op art...using their hands, using geometric shapes, concentric circles, etc.
This is the last slide in my presentation.  I found these three projects on Pinterest just by doing an op art search.  I want them to see that even though the individual panels are acceptable, they don't "go well" with each other.  This is where we can talk about unity in art!

Hopefully they will do well on this.  I'm going to have them use colored pencils for this project, not markers.  I find that they don't color very neatly with markers, and I don't like how sFotreaky markers look when not used correctly!

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First grade seems to be one of the few grade levels that I am completely happy with my pre-made curriculum. So far, I have stuck to my plans to a "T"!  Following our realistic pumpkin unit, we are going to continue by learning a little more about depth and we will draw realistic animals using shape! I have loved this project since I found it on Pinterest...the picture will link you to the original blog.
Very cute...nice way to talk about foreground, middleground and background...

I am going to use this project to talk about foreground and background with my kids.  I am going to alter this project for my use though.  First, my kids will be required to add a horizon line and draw in details behind their animal, as that is what we have just finished doing with our pumpkin patches.

Secondly, I am going to let the students choose what animal they want to draw.  On the first day of this unit, we are going to practice drawing animals using shape. I am going to demonstrate it on the board first, and then I'm going to give everyone one of these worksheets I created tonight to practice drawing animals.  When they are done, they will draw a large version of one animal on white watercolor paper.


That's all for now!  Tomorrow is my day off from school so I will be cleaning...cleaning...and scrapbooking!  I have a "fill-it-in-scrapbook" to make for a baby shower next weekend and it needs to be in the mail by Wednesday! 

13 comments:

  1. May I give a bit of unsolicited advice for your 5th grade lesson? I've found that on the op art lessons the kids tend to be really motivated for the first few classes but then loose steam...if you are going to do three of them and don't want them to drag on forever maybe you should do them in "mini" about half a sheet of standard copy paper size and only do one hand...or switch up the art materials you use between each one...just a thought:)

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    1. I was definitely planning on having them use smaller sheets of paper. I was thinking maybe 5x7...I think I might take your advice on using the different media...then we could talk about which materials worked better and why! Thanks!

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    2. I agree with Mrs. Art Teacher. It takes kids painfully long to finish ONE of anything with colored pencils, let alone three, and it becomes busy work rather than effective learning. How about construction paper instead of coloring on one of them? Or maybe oil pastels for another?

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  2. Having just finished Chihuly & organic shapes, now is a good time to move into geometric shapes. Good move to do a project that also reviews the organic concept and also clearly compares the two when displayed together. Good move!

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  3. More unsolicited advice.....You said you wanted to talk to your 5th graders about unity, so why not use the SAME pair of complimentary colors on all three drawings? One in colored pencil, one in marker (since you are using smaller paper) and the last in crayon or oil pastel? Just a thought!

    :)Pat

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    1. That's a good idea too...but I was trying to make it so each student had to use each pair of complementary colors do I could reinforce them more....that's why I was having such a hard time coming up with an interesting complementary color project for them...particularly one that doesn't involve painting right now...

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  4. Glad you're finding inspiration in our mosaic/collages : )
    I really like that your year one students have a selection of animals to choose from. I know time and other factors mean that sometimes we have every student make the same animal/fruit/scene etc, but I feel much better when I allow for greater choice and control within their artwork.

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    1. That has been one of my goals this year...to try and help students create their own artwork within my guidelines. Usually, I would do a demo on how to draw one type of animal and then I would have 40 art projects that all look relatively the same...one of my goals this year was to try and teach a little more open within my projects so that the kiddos could express themselves more...Granted, sometimes kindergarten expression is scribbling on a page instead of coloring in the lines, but we're getting there! Sometimes I feel like my art projects this year are a little less in terms of visual quality (craftsmanship, realistic drawing, etc.) but the kids seem to be taking away a lot more.

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  5. Thinking about your 5th graders -sometimes the difficult classes are the best at construction, 3-D projects. They like 'hands-on' and are more challenging when it comes to just sitting and coloring (to them- B-O-R-I-N-G.). So construction paper hanging structures in comp. colors for example - or woven comp. colors. Or comp color relief collages etc... Maybe you need to surprise them with a totally different direction!

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    1. Hmmm...I was thinking about doing a line sculpture with my younger kids...maybe I'll do it with then instead! I could get out some twisteez wire, cut up some construction paper strips, and maybe some pipe cleaners! Oooh I like that more than the op art project! Guess I'm having a change of plans again! Thanks Phyl!

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  6. oh along Phyl's line of thought you could combine your lesson and her idea by building opp art cubes Kids Artists has a great op art cube lesson http://kidsartists.blogspot.com/2010/06/op-art-cube.html

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  7. Regarding your second graders, I FEEL YOU. Our second grade classes combine for specials, so instead of a class of kids, I get a class plus a third of another class, close to 30 students. And because they're all mixed up, they think it's recess. Insanity. Anyway, we do a collage project with organic and geometric shapes and look at Matisse's cut-outs. They love the bright colors and the wacky starburst and seaweed shapes of his work. Just a thought! I'm enjoying your blog--keep it up! :)

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    1. Thanks! I started the collages today with one group and they really seemed to enjoy it. We are probably going to spend one more day doing the primary geometric shape collage...and then another day or so doing the secondary organic collage. Pictures to come!

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