Literacy Pumpkins

Chi's Sweet Home

Quarter 2 started a few weeks ago and it was really close to Halloween and I really wanted students to get a chance to paint pumpkins!  So, our school librarian and I came up with an idea to display Literacy Pumpkins in the library!  I had all of my classes (except 4th hour) work on illustrating their favorite book.  We learned our Painting Vocabulary with elements and principles and then painted our pumpkins!  

It was a success!  Students really enjoyed it and had a fun time!  I think the only drawbacks/concerns I would have for next time is one, my room looked like a pumpkin patch for a couple weeks!  There were pumpkins everywhere!  So make sure you have enough storage, thankfully I had lots of shelves! And two, the yellow paint dried and chipped off.  I did not know it would do that, so there were several Simpson's and Spongebob's that crackled and fell apart.  

All in all, students were engaged, we have a nice display and it was really neat seeing the books that the students are into!

Totem Spoons

Quarter 1 students created Totem Spoons for our Clay Unit.  They really enjoyed this activity!  We learned specific elements and principles vocabulary and all the detailed info that comes with clay!  We looked at examples and determined what we wanted to do with our artworks.  It took 1-2 days for vocabulary, 2-3 for working on our spoons, then it was time to air dry.  During the air dry time, we started our next unit, or you can try and time it for a long weekend (hint: Thanksgiving and all those 3 day weekends)

One of the biggest challenges was the importance to slip and score, wrapping the clay in plastic bags to 86 air flow and NOT glazing the bottom!  I think next time, I need to spend a full day on writing your name on the bottom and give every table buckets and sponges and making sure they wipe the glaze off the bottom!

All students made a spoon and then created objects representing their interests!  We had sports, video games, palm trees, UK (Go Cats!), school items like instruments and paintbrushes!  It was really fun to see all their interests!  This was great for all grades (6,7,8) and really kept them all engaged!

Here are some pics!

Painting with a Twist at SECC

I had the opportunity to lead a painting activity with our Youth group at church!  We had a great time and everyone left with smiles and a covered canvas.  :)

Kiln firing, Perspective and Still Lifes

First full week of school and we are super busy!  My first hour Ceramics class has finished and dried out their Zentangle slabs and they were firing in the kiln when I left Friday.  I loaded that baby Thursday night, got in early Friday, started it at 8 and when I left at 6:30 it was 1580 degrees!  I found our Custodian and let him know, he wasn't leaving until later and said he would keep an eye on it for me.  So super nice!  Fingers crossed that we don't have any blow-outs!  So this week, we get to glaze our Zentangle tiles, finish our Coil pots and Intro pinch pots.  We had discussed the history of Ceramics and I let the class vote on which culture/time period they would like to explore further for some Art History.  Surprisingly, they picked Mesopotamia, Modern and Native American!  (I think they just wanted to see if they could spell Mesopotamia!)  I can't wait to get in there and open the kiln  in the morning!

6th grade students are learning about Linear Perspective this week.  We practiced 1-point and 2-point and then I let the students pick which one they liked the best and complete an artwork using our process of horizon line and vanishing points.  Here's one in progress.

7th and 8th grade students learned about Still Lifes, skulls and Stippling.  (I really want a skull now for my classroom, so ya know, if you have one laying around...) Here is a still life in progress.

I am also working on a painting for our lovely Ms. Janda in the front office.  I feel really bad because it's totally overdue but I do appreciate that students get to see their Artist-Teacher working on her art as well!  I think it gives me Art Cred with my kiddos.  

Stars, Hoots and Kahoots

Our first few weeks (days) have been a success!  We have reviewed the Elements of Art and finished our first masterpieces!  All but one class has reviewed the Elements and created some 3D pop-up Stars for display.  I found the template here.  I printed one for each student, showed them my example and then let them be creative in how they depicted the Elements in each area.  We cut them out, fold on the lines, glue the tabs back on construction paper and there you go!  Students really enjoyed this activity, the folding and gluing it down was a bit tricky, but I was impressed by the support and assistance from other students!
(sorry the images are slightly fuzzy, my son took the pictures)

My 6th graders practiced continuous line with our Owls and then colored in the spaces.  We always play a game of Simon Says as I lead and I never tell them what we are making!  They really enjoy it and ask for other animals!  I think we will display some of these with a book display in the library featuring the series "Guardians of Ga'hoole".

We are working our way towards 1 and 2 perspective drawing this week.

Our sketch this week was of Gary the Octopus practice foreground, background and shading.

Something that I tried this week for the first time and absolutely LOVED it was utilizing Kahoot! for formative assessment.  My 8th grade Ceramics class reviewed vocabulary with this digital game and it was awesome!  Everyone had fun, students were learning and it had everyone engaged!!  Definitely a keeper and going to use again!!  Check it out here.

2015, In the beginning

Our 2015 school year is already off to an amazing start!  I can't begin to describe how humble, blessed, excited and honored I am to have my dream job in such an amazing school!  Since school started for our county this week, all of the teachers started back with a PD at a local ropes course on Monday.  If you have never challenged yourself with a ropes course.... I highly recommend it!  It was great to have adult playtime and try something new, but also to experience the encouragement and teamwork outside of the school setting is something nothing short of incredible!  You get to know people in a different light; you laugh, cry, scream, squeal, clap, holler, gasp,..... just about every emotion comes out!  And that was just on Monday.

Me (on the left) with Ms. Thomas just chatting away... 40 feet in the air.

Tuesday was an exciting day of Faculty meetings, binders, paperwork, new behavior systems, PTA lunch and about 50 fire alarms.  Which by the way, you can tell we are all teachers because when the alarm sounds off and we know it is nothing serious, we don't flinch!  We just keep on working!

Wednesday.... here they come!  I love seeing the smiles, hugs, hellos and all the growth spurts!  Seeing the laughter, brightness and future in these young adults is exciting.  

Beginning of the Quarter brings syllabus discussion and our Element and Principle practice and review which this year we are making 3D stars for some school-wide decorations.

The template for the star can be found here. 

Reflections about IDA (Identify, Describe, Analyze)

After wrapping my brain around the Enduring Skill for IDA, I tried a few techniques and strategies in the classroom and then asked for student feedback.

My understanding of the Enduring Skill for IDA (identify, describe, analyze) is to identify the Elements and/or Principles you see.  Which ones are present?  Texture, line, color, value, focal point, balance, proportion, etc.  Then, describe them using adjectives.  I like to use the example "If you are talking to your BFF on the phone and you can see the image, but your BFF cannot, describe the image to them."  Then, after you identify the E/P and you have some descriptors, you must analyze WHY the artist did what they did.  What is the message, idea, mood?  What is the artist communicating to the audience?

I incorporated Starter Questions and images, as well as student planning for artworks with these questions and mini-acivities for IDA.  I think that the starters went well,  by the end of the quarter, students were tutoring each other regarding IDA.  I think if I have an IDA poster to remind students and really use it everyday, it will stick.  Also, planning backwards and using the IDA concept.  For the final independent piece, I want students to use the IDA for writing their artist statement.

A - What is the mood, idea, message you want to communicate?

D - Describe how you feel about this mood, idea, message.

I - Which E/P will you use to communicate this to your audience?


We do IDA on existing artists, artworks and activities up until this point.  Then for the final, we do ADI.  We will then turn the ADI into an artist statement for the artwork and display for a Gallery Hop.


Student Feedback:
Based on Student Feedback, the biggest thing they were still confused about was the Analyze part.  Principles of Design, Describe vs. Analyze and then Describe came in second.

My Reflection:
Bigger and Better Word Wall with E/P, Examples of Descriptors and Adjectives for E/P, really implement IDA for all things up until Final and then use ADI for Final Artwork and Artist Statement/Gallery Hop.

I have a new Art in Focus book that I am going through right now.  Here are 2 images of some examples I would like to incorporate and figure out how to use.  Obviously I need to make it student-friendly, but it seems like it would fit really well and help with the IDA concept.