Contour Line Shoes

 The first project of the year for 5th graders is complete! Our first class on this lesson was a practice in contour line drawing. We are so used to drawing from our imagination that it takes practice to get good at drawing what we actually see. The students drew several practice drawings of a seashell. They had to draw a blind contour-drawing without looking at their paper and a continuous line-drawing without picking up their pencil. These exercises make us better at using our eyes to help draw a picture. The following class, the students did a contour line drawing of their shoes. The drawings turned out so good, we decided to add some color. Today, they finished their shoes by choosing a color scheme. We added a background color that fit our scheme. They make a pretty impressive display in the hallway!

Hot Air Balloons

 For my first wedding anniversary a few years ago, my husband and I went on a hot air balloon ride over Omaha. It wasn't actually his idea, we went with family. But he gets romantic date points anyway since I didn't have to plan it!
I took lots of pictures, and my first grade students love to hear the story of my adventure. They are always curious about how the balloons work and how they land. We practiced drawing the shapes of hot air balloons and then used the lines we practiced last week to create patterns. We also touched on using different sizes in our picture to make balloons look far away or close up. During the first class we drew and colored the background with crayons. For the second class, we reviewed how to use watercolor paint in a safe and smart way. It's good to review best practices for each material in detail these first few lessons during the year. Paintbrush care is a good habit!

Bad Hair Days!

I always like to start the year with a review of lines. Every grade level does a project that reintroduces all the different ways to make lines. By 4th and 5th grade, we are ready to turn those lines into something really amazing! These projects are partially inspired by the many "zentangle" lessons out there, but I don't actually teach the zentangle method. I have the students start with a line pattern and then fill it with doodles. We focused on contrast-making some areas dark, and some light. I love when I look around the room and tongues are hanging out. That's how you KNOW the kids are concentrating!

 We started this project by taking a digital picture of each student, then cutting off the hair and attaching it to a piece of cardboard. These long pieces of poster board were donated to my classroom last year, so we put them to good use! The kids used eraser and pencil to plan the shape of their hair, then used thick and thin sharpies to divide into sections and create the patterns. We used colored markers to create the background and help the line designs stand out.

4th/5th Grade Bad Hair Days

 You guys, my students are amazing. They seriously impress me and surprise me every day. We began this project in art class, and I sent them to their classroom with the expectation that they would finish their black and white patterns on their own in their classroom. Not only did they finish them, but they came back BRILLIANT! We finished the marker background today in the art room.