Fourth Grade Painted Paper

Fourth graders were working hard today on their patterned painted papers! Each table got a different set of colors to use with a variety of scrapers for adding texture. These papers will ultimately turn into the background of their color wheel project.

I will post the final results with the color wheel 'eyeball' glued on top when complete!

Illuminated Letter Lesson Plan

Purchase and download my version of illuminated letters inspired by medieval art and The Book of Kells. I ran this lesson with fourth grade and I don't suggest going any lower since you are working with sheets of metal which can be sharp.

The 8 page booklet includes three handouts created by me: a design inspiration handout, the frame template required, and an extension activity as well as instructions and a list of materials.

Check it out over at my TpT store!

'I Can' Statements Download

Another TpT document available!

Previously in my room I used laminated pieces of paper to write my I Can statements for each grade level. It has become increasingly annoying to get up on the ladder to clean them, then re write based on the new project.

I have created 8.5x11 printable I Can statements for all my projects through out the school year. Most of these are very broad and can probably be used in your room. However, in the download I have included a word doc as well so the files can be edited!

FYI, the font I used is called 'throw your hands up in the air'.

Next is to print them, add the color coded border, laminate, and use for years to come!

To purchase this resource head on over to my TpT Store!

4th Grade Artist Statements

Here is another post on teacher evaluation for you!

As my previous post mentioned, a standardized/concrete measure is required of all teachers. This falls under Indicator of Academic Growth and Development (IAGD) #1.

Now I will touch upon what is required of IAGD #2, the non-standardized assessment. The success of this goal is measured based upon a rubric. In the past, my focus area has ranged from critical analysis of an artwork to self portraiture. This year I am focusing on artist statements with my fourth graders!

The slightly confusing part of it all is that these two IAGDs should work together to support one larger, broader Student Learning Objecting (SLO) that works to support our school wide goals. Our school wide goals happen to be the 4C's:

Creativity

Collaboration

Critical Thinking

Communication

(oh and a new one this year) Character

Pretty easy to connect anything I do in my art room to AT LEAST one of those!

My SLO this year: ​Students in 4th grade will develop excellence in communication by conveying meaning through the presentation of artistic work. (VA:Pr6)

In order to further support our content area I threw in which specific National Standard I am using. (Presenting, Anchor Standard 6)

On to the freebies!

I have been working on some documents to guide my 4th graders along through the process of writing an artist statement. Included in the PDF is also the rubric I created to grade them.

Hope this was at least a bit helpful to you as we all try to figure out and manage data collection in the art room!

These are only previews. Download the full version (for free!) at my TpT Store.

Color Theory Pre and Post Test

As part of teacher evaluation I am expected to collect data within my art classroom. My standardized (concrete, measurable) goal has dealt with color theory over the past three years. Here are some of the tests I have created for my students in grades 2-4. I hope this helps you on your journey through data collection in the art room!

  

These are only previews. Download the full versions (for free!) at my TpT store.

Bulletin Board Dump

Here are a few of the bulletin boards I have created so far this year!

I hope that these help to inspire you in your own creations :) 

What I did this summer!

Hello all, I hope you had a restful and exhilarating summer! I myself traveled to Europe for the first time ever. Needless to say it was exciting. When I got back from my vacation I painted a staircase to the entrance of a local middle school as well as some old, unused lockers. This middle school is an Arts Magnet Middle School, so on the lockers I painted in the style of a few famous artists. I did not finish my task, and will be sure to post the final installments upon completion! Here is what I did complete:

The remaining artists include: Piet Mondrian, Romero Britto, Vincent van Gogh, and Roy Lichtenstein.

Artist Map Bulletin Board

In my art room I have the following bulletin board to use as a reference when I introduce a new artist to my students.

My students absolutely love it! They are often shouting out 'I can see him on the map, wow he's close/far!' It helps them make connections to the artists by seeing where they are from, when they lived, and what they look like.

The map is always growing as I add new lessons with new artists. Currently I have 15 different artist cards created (only 14 are hung up this year). If you would like to implement this map into your own classroom I have put the download file on my TpT.

My cards are also color coded by grade level learning about them. The colors are the same as the 'I Can' statements for each grade level. K-Yellow, 1-Orange, 2-Blue, 3-Green.

Some artists are discussed in more than one grade level, but I haven't figured out a great way to change the border color so it still appears cohesive. I'll figure it out eventually!

Corduroy Lesson

I finished this project back in March and finally have gotten around to getting a lesson plan pdf ready for you all if you'd like to bring a little Corduroy into your own Kindergarten classrooms.

The download includes everything you will need to run this lesson with your students, including: tracer templates, materials list, an extension activity and even national art ed standard connections.

Head on over to my TpT to purchase this 10 page booklet for yourself!

Cellphone Wallpapers

On this lazy Sunday I felt like designing some new wallpapers for my cellphone. As I have an iPhone 6, the dimensions work best on that phone, but can of course be modified when you set up on your own device. Hope you enjoy them and they help you to keep art in your heart!

Drag to your desktop or right click and save!

Math Fact Staircase

As I sit here on day one of my spring break I realized that I never posted this staircase that I painted for a local elementary school. Click the picture below to be redirected to the school's website! Comment below if you have any questions about the process.

Family Reading Night

My school does a family reading night where staff members volunteer to read a book and families listen, then move to the next room every fifteen minutes. It's a great event that promotes reading among students and parents! The rest of the staff could participate by decorating their door if they didn't want to read.

In the middle of art show preparation I needed a break, so I decided I would decorate my door. Good idea or bad? Hmmmm.

Have you ever heard of the book 'The Noisy Paintbox' by Barb Rosenstock? If not then click on this link! It is a beautifully told story of Kandinsky and his creation of abstract art. From first hand experience let me just tell you: it is a staple to any art room library!

Here is a picture my sister snapped of me working hard.

And the finished product, up on the door.

So far it has been a huge hit :)

Word Wall Words

At the beginning of the school year I started designing my own word wall. I had been searching for one that was already made, but did not like the small print and lengthy definitions. For my K-3 classroom, pictures are better than words. These cards are not only for the elementary level, though, they can be used in any PreK-12 art room.

Head on over to my TpT store to snag them for yourself.

Art History Memory Game

Looking to incorporate a little bit of art history into your classroom? Here is a memory match game including 27 different famous artworks. Each card includes an image, title, and artist's name!

Print two of each page to get the complete set.

For a longer lasting game print on card stock and laminate!

To purchase this resource head on over to my TpT store.

Wayne Thiebaud Bulletin Board

This is officially the last board I needed to set up for the art show!

Time is running short and I'm starting to feel the crunch of getting the rest of the art matted, labeled, and hung on the walls. I hope the rest of you who host your art shows in March are doing well!

My first, second, and third graders all do a project inspired by Wayne Thiebaud. We discuss shapes vs. forms and how to create the illusion of form by adding light and dark to our object. On this board I only hung up the first grade ice cream cones and second grade cupcakes. Third graders had created popsicles, for your own reference. Enjoy!

The title.

At the top of this photo you'll notice a small blurb I wrote about Thiebaud as well as posted some of his artwork.

The whole board, this thing is massive!

Youth Art Month Bulletin Boards

As all of us art educators know March is Youth Art Month, and I host my school's art show during this month. I like to make a display to make sure parents, students, and staff members know about YAM. Here are my displays!

I realized after I took this photo that the paintbrush and clay tool were reversed. Forgot to take a new picture after I corrected the error. You get the idea, it's the logo.

I saw this idea on a Facebook group I am in-as the month progresses you uncover one more day, one more fact about why arts education is important. I decided to add some artists born in March and an example of their artwork on the right hand side.

Theodor Seuss Geisel - March 2nd

Piet Mondrian - March 7th

George Rodrigue - March 13th

Vincent van Gogh - March 30th

Freebie iPhone 6 Wallpaper

Made this today for some everyday inspiration. Sharing the positive motto with the rest of you! Enjoy and please credit where credit is due.

Britto 3 Page Color Pack

Another resource for you added to my TpT store! I've taken artwork from Romero Britto and modified it in photoshop to create high quality, printable coloring pages for you to use in your room.

Hope you enjoy them.

    

Kinder Fantasy Unit

Lets talk Kindergarten!

A few weeks ago we started out Royal Self Portraits. This project is a favorite all around - students, staff, and parents! The original idea is from Patty at Deep Space Sparkle. On day one we do a directed drawing, talking about our faces and all the different parts on them. Day two is painting. Previously I have used tempera cakes and had the students mix their own skin color. I love the variety they come up with, but this year I tried something a bit easier on myself. I ordered SAX Versa Tempera paint in a multicultural set and put out a range of colors for the students to pick from. I much prefer the liquid tempera look to the tempera cakes of the past years. To each their own, though!

Here are some of my students working hard on day two:

   

Day three we got to add fun glitter and jewels to our crowns!

After completing our Royal self portraits we had to give them somewhere to live. It was time for our shape castles. Again the original idea is from Deep Space Sparkle and I modified it to my needs. On day one, we talked all about different shapes when doing this directed drawing in oil pastel. On day two we went over how to use watercolor paint and students got to see the magic relationship between the two media. Gosh I love the Kinder innocence.

Here is the bulletin board I just finished putting up today: