4th Grade - Keith Haring Crazy Art Folders!

Keith Haring is great for art folders... Working on a large 18x24 is perfect for a BIG space!  My fourth graders each made at least one template of their own out of tag board.  They were required to use it at least twice.  They could make more or share with their friends.  Most made 2 templates, and then there was a lot of sharing!  This is the final product, lots of color, lots of fun!!!

3rd Grade - James Rizzi Art Folders!

Who doesn't love James Rizzi??? His artwork is always a favorite of my students! We look at his cityscapes closely, noticing the perspective and layers of spaces he creates. While most items are created flat, the near and far element is definitely there! Here are a few samples of Rizzi's cityscapes  I use with my 3rd graders...

When I start the lesson with students, we are looking to create foreground, middleground and background.  We start by drawing a line a little lower than the middle to create the background first... the silly buildings with personality!  After the buildings are in place, they are able to decide how to finish the foreground and middleground.  Street with cars, subway, park with playground, sidewalks, river with boats... or anything they come up with!

2nd Grade - Landscapes (SLO lesson) on Art Folders

This lesson might look familiar...  This the lesson I taught my 2nd graders BEFORE the SLO test. The difference??? This was a directed drawing, making sure each student drew a house and a tree in the foregound, middleground and background.  Very simple, they could add anything extra they wanted to that would be appropriate for a landscape. 

We first looked closely at several landscapes, but my favorite we used for our main drawing inspiration was this one below by Gabriele Munter. 

I show my students how to draw a house with two sides, more 3-dimensional. How to add on a garage, driveway, roads.  They all want mountains like the painting, so they add those behind their third house.  This is seriously a fantastic lesson... every kid wants to draw something real, but they often times just simple need to be shown how to.  I have parents who are always so shocked at how well their child is drawing after completing this lesson!  I just got another landscape yesterday from a student who drew one at home to bring me.  It reinforces the success of the lesson when they go home to practice it!

1st Grade - Art Folders inspired by Rousseau!

This lesson is inspired by Henri Rousseau's painting, Surprised! Storm in the Forest. I love this lesson for many reasons... First, the results are always great.  Second, it is a great directed drawing lesson for first graders.... they all draw the same steps to complete a whole tiger, but they have no assistance, and feel proud and great at the end!  Which results in my favorite reason I love this project... It is a creative confidence boost!  You know they're proud when they work so hard to make it look fabulous!

Pencil first... We draw a tiger based on Ed Emberley.  U-shape head, long nose... then I showed them how to draw the tiger looking like he is crouching, ready to pounce. To do that we draw 2 paws, (large potatoes) at the bottom of the page, Draw the body from paw, all the way around to other paw. Then hind legs on each side, tail... voila!

Draw the green grass and branches hiding the tiger direct with green markers. 

Color in the leaves with crayon. 

Outline and color in the tiger!

I would like to add... I do not think there is anything wrong with a directed drawing lesson for young elementary students.  They have no strategies of how to draw unless they follow steps a few times.  Once they understand how to look at something and break it down into simple shapes...  And realizing there are millions of ways to draw something, they will have the tools and confidence to do it without directions.  I always say, "YES" when a student wants to draw something differently. A project like this, they usually are not changing much, they want it to look similar.  They drew 100% of their tiger by themselves, which for some, was a huge accomplishment! 

Kindergarten - Art Folders!

Eric Carle's, Very Hungry Caterpillar was our inspiration for our art folders this year.  

It is still a favorite of mine and my students.  We all started drawing them the same, 

but they ended up unique in the end! Gotta love kinders!

On the back of the folder I write the word, ART, large in block letters. They are asked to create designs by repeating shapes, lines and colors. I demonstrate how to approach it, but I let them go... what they create is what they create! They always do a good job!