Aliens!

Second grade students sure had fun making their aliens with marker and pastel. We talked about different shapes for their bodies, different types of ears, multiple eyes, arms, etc. During the next class, students created a space background with metallic paint and pastels. They also each completed a writing activity to accompany their art! They answered questions about their aliens, such as "what is the name of your alien's planet?" and "use attributes to describe that planet!" Their creativity flourished in this lesson!

Writing in the Art Room

I have been trying very hard to include writing in my curriculum this year. I believe, as art teachers, that we should try to tie in and supplement the regular curriculum whenever possible. One little way I do that is through writing. Writing can be done as a "warm up" or as a "wind down." It can take up a whole lesson or it can fill a few minutes. Writing in art can be done in so many creative ways. Here are just some of the ways I include writing with my lessons.

• Have students write an Artist Statement to attach to their projects. I ask my students to discuss their inspiration, the process they used to create their art, and any personal stories relating to their art.
• 30 Second Look is one of my favorite activities, especially in the elementary. If you have an interactive white board, display a work of art for 30 seconds and then have students make a list of as many things they can remember from the art.
• Display a work of art and have each student write a "hook" to make their reader more excited to learn more about that painting.
• Create a five senses chart for a work of art. Pretending you are inside the painting, what do you feel? taste? smell? see? hear?
• Create a writing that details the process followed to create a work of art. Use transition words and pictures.
• Create a KWL chart before a lesson. For example, before I teach Egyptian Art I ask them what they KNOW, WANT TO KNOW, and then what they've LEARNED after the project is finished.
• Have reflection journals where students can not only draw sketches, but make notes about what they like about their art, what they would change, etc.
• Have students write about the art of another student.
• Younger children can simply describe what they see in a work of art.

I have come to embrace writing in my curriculum rather than dread having to enforce that activity. There are easy ways to do so. I truly believe it's important to show administrators, parents, and fellow teachers that art is a class that is beneficial and supportive in many ways.

Knights and Dragons!

Third graders recently looked at several versions of the painting St. George and the Dragon as well as read  the story The Knight and the Dragon by Tomie DePaola. We compared how the knight and dragon from the painting were so different from the characters in the silly story!

They completed these colorful works of art using watercolor paints! After their artwork was complete they each wrote a story about their scene, making a twist on the story of St. George and the Dragon!

Our Favorite Art

A great bulletin board idea is to have children vote on various works of art they have learned about through the year. This is also a good tie in to math and writing. I had Kindergartners write a few sentences about why the artwork was their favorite and draw a picture to accompany their sentences. It was a great one day, cross curricular activity that tied up a lot of loose ends at the end of the year!