This is a project from the archives. I used to teach a combined 5th/6th grade class until this year. Every year, we made medieval paper mache figures. The 5/6s studied the Medieval period in their social studies class. We used newspaper and foil to create the armature of these figures. Then, we applied paper mache over the body. Model magic or air dry clay was used to make the heads. Model magic actually works the best, in my opinion. Clothes, … Read more…
First, I want to give a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who follows my blog. I appreciate your support in reading my blog, leaving comments, pinning images and sharing my posts. Whenever I get a positive comment or email from a reader, it just MAKES MY DAY and makes all the time worthwhile. Without this kind of feedback and support, I would not continue blogging! A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who bought resources during the TPT Best Year Ever … Read more…
It’s summer time! This wrapped up my 10th year of teaching at my current school and 13 1/2 years teaching total. The good news is that since I was so busy this year, I have a huge backlog of art projects to share with you. I will probably write them all up this summer and then save some of them for the busy times next school year. Doodle patterns are always good for focus and concentration. This project is also … Read more…
This project was a huge hit with my 5th/6th grade classes. There’s something about the feel of sand through your fingers that is soothing. I’m telling you, every kid was very engaged. I got applause after one of my demonstrations. Applause! When was the last time you had your class cheer and applaud after a demonstration? We used Sand-O Adhesive Boards and X-Acto knives to make our pictures. First, we drew the design with pencil. Then we carefully cut one … Read more…
With all the fancy projects an art teacher can find on Pinterest, sometimes it’s good to go back to the basics. Simple drawing and painting of familiar subjects. This week my students drew art manekins. You could see much more concentration in the students than while doing other projects. I was looking through the folders on my computer and found these animal watercolor paintings my students had made last year. For more watercolor lessons, check out these old posts: How … Read more…
I have something to share with you that I’ve been working on for a long time. Well, a couple of months. It takes forever for me to accomplish anything lately (I have a clingy toddler who doesn’t like to sleep) so I work in short spurts whenever I get a chance. Many of you probably know of Ian and Melissa from Apex High School. They have developed a list of Artistic Behaviors for the high school level. I have been … Read more…
Here are some of the Artist Trading Cards my students made for the ATC swap that Nic Hahn is coordinating. The students filled out a sheet for the back with information about their card. You can download this sheet for free at my TPT shop. Artist Trading Cards are mini works of art, sized at 2.5″ x 3.5″. They can be traded, collected or given as gifts. They can be about anything! Some of the materials my students used were: … Read more…
