Batik

My Batik represents finals week. So much is going on, my mind is swirling under the pressure and colors are exploding. Thank goodness it’s almost over!

Building

This building was fun to make. It was a different way to form 3D art. It was interesting to see what you could make and see your image come to life.

Color Wheel

This is my color wheel. I love Disney so this color wheel represents the kid inside of me.

Wire Ant

This ant was difficult to create. I couldn’t grasp the wire well enough to bend it because I wore gloves. This was an interesting and helped me see that art projects need to be adapted to certain disabilities.

View Finder Drawings

What a difference a view can make. My pictures were done in a different view through a small square. It gave me a new way to look at an object. This is how these three pictures were created.

Pots

Pots make the world a better place. They allow us to store things and give us a little spunk in the kitchen. My pots will keep paper clips or jelly beans in them. It was interesting to work with clay and I was excited to stamp my cultural stamps in them.

Scratchboard

The alphabet is used on a daily bases. It is continuous and never changes. So the continuous alphabet line is appropriate for exhibiting it on the scratchboard.

Water Techniques

Food, oh how I love you. Food is what I love in life. It comforts and never betrays you. The expression in this piece is what I see when I eat certain foods.

Styrofoam Print

My phone is a part of me. Where ever I go it goes. So why not appreciate it by printing it for the world to see?

Mask

My mask is a man from the African culture. He is a strong warrior that would bring honor to his family and tribe.

Map

Maps show me the way. Life in a way is a map. The fish are what I catch and release in my life. The good things I keep and the bad I let go. I fish for what I want in life.

Water Resistance

Trees, trees, all I see are trees. As the sun sets I lay down to sleep and peer out my window to trees.

Purpose of Displaying Kid’s Art Work

In the book it states that art pieces being hung up shows what the students have accomplished in your class. This is important because it can give the kids something to be proud of. Hanging art work can also lead to kids to discuss their art and reinforce what they learned. On mrhsd.org it says that if you display art work in your classroom you express to the students they are capable of high quality work. It can also be a motivational tool because students will reflect on the value of their own work. It also expressed that leaving the art work up too long will cause the piece to lose its value. On responsiveclassroom.org it explained that a student sees their work being displayed as the teacher caring about their work and learning. I believe that hanging art work praises each child’s ability, which is important to show your students that you care.

Accommodations for students with special needs/ disabilities

Twenty ways to accommodate for students with disabilities/ special needs:

§  Sign directions to students

§  Sign test questions to students

§  Allow typing to respond to answers

§  Give tests in small groups or one on one

§  Give tests orally

§  Give extended time and frequent breaks

§  Eliminate clutter in the classroom

§  Sit them at close range to the teacher

§  Give extra assistance when needed

§  Give activities with multi-sensory and different learning styles

§  Modify activities when needed like shortening an assignment

§  Give opportunity for cooperative learning

§  Keep changes to a minimum

§  Allow students to move closer for a better hearing range

§  Emphasize art projects to overcome self-consciousness like self portraits

§  Outline assignments

§  Make expectations clear

§  Demonstrate more and talk less

§  Give visual aid

§  Allow child to miss class and give them assignments to take home

Resources:

NCES.ed.gov

Specialed.about.com

Our art book

African Mask

On cti.itc.virginia.edu it said that an African mask can represent a spiritual being, dead ancestors, and the power of social control. Each mask was made for a tradition and worn by a professional performer. The performances with these masks were ceremonial that showed social, religious and morals of the community. On sprott.physics.wisc.edu it explained that these masks could be used for religious or involve spirits of the dead, but it could also concern fertility rates and curing the sick, as well as celebrating. Some masks were used to keep required balance like using masks that represented harmful spirits. Scary masks were used to punish women, children, and criminals. On rebirth.co.za it expressed that these masks were made of leather, medal, fabric, and wood. The masks are looked at as the finest art on the art world and many collectors want them. The masks were used for cultural and social importance. The masks can be worn in three different ways covering the face vertically, as helmets covering the head, or crests resting on the head. It was believed that that spirit possessed the people wearing ancestor masks.  The performer was also communicating with the ancestor when they went into their deep trance. On en.wikipedia.org it stated that masks had different meanings depending on the tribes. Masks showed what is expected of feminine beauty. Masks were made to look like humans, animals, and spirits. African masks are interesting and show the beliefs of a tribe.

Technology in Art Education

The book says that you can use technology as a design tool. At the press of a button you can crop, cut, copy and change your image in so many ways. You can use a computer not only for designing images, but researching them too. On mrhsa.org it expressed the importance of cameras to display child’s work. It is important to show a child’s work and if you have limited space to do so a camera makes it possible to shrink it in size. On Ehow.com it explained that finding images is easier as well as printing out pictures students can color to replicate the style of art you are teaching. With what technology offers it is important to ensure age appropriateness in the activities you choose. If you choose too simple of a project for older kids they won’t learn what is intended. If you pick something too hard for students they will become frustrated and they won’t see the importance of the project. For example if you had a first grader try to make an elaborate 3D design on the computer, this isn’t appropriate for their level of learning.  They might not understand what is intended or become so frustrated they hate technology.

Technology in Art Education

The book says that you can use technology as a design tool. At the press of a button you can crop, cut, copy and change your image in so many ways. You can use a computer not only for designing images, but researching them too. On mrhsa.org it expressed the importance of cameras to display child’s work. It is important to show a child’s work and if you have limited space to do so a camera makes it possible to shrink it in size. On Ehow.com it explained that finding images is easier as well as printing out pictures students can color to replicate the style of art you are teaching. With what technology offers it is important to ensure age appropriateness in the activities you choose. If you choose too simple of a project for older kids they won’t learn what is intended. If you pick something too hard for students they will become frustrated and they won’t see the importance of the project. For example if you had a first grader try to make an elaborate 3D design on the computer, this isn’t appropriate for their level of learning.  They might not understand what is intended or become so frustrated they hate technology.

Age Appropriate

Age appropriate activities are important according to aplaceofourown.com because it allows children to get what they need for all areas of intelligence. It also explains that each child is different so their appropriate activities won’t be the same. That is important and the key to helping each child grow from what they already know. Examine each child individually and learn what helps them excel. On this website it also expressed that interests of the child need to be considered while choosing their appropriate activities. I focused on fourth grade while choosing my lesson plan. In our book it states that appropriate activities for fourth grade need to use vertical placement, size reduction, and overlapping shape to create space and depth. It also explained that fourth graders need to be able to draw with more realistic proportions and be more concise with their drawings. Fourth graders should also experiment with color by tinting or shading. The USOE fine arts rainbow chart is also a good resource to see what is appropriate for the age group you are teaching. Like it says for fourth grade that they should know line characteristic (gesture and contour), be able to experiment with positive and negative shapes, mimicking textures, etc.

My lesson plan:

Description:

Learning activity that introduces common types of precipitation while also teaching and practicing drawings with different perspectives, gesture drawing, use of value, color and texture, and observe and make the details of real objects.

Materials Needed:

·         stapler

·         overhead projector or blackboard

·         a copy of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (ISBN 0689707495)

Student Product:

·         Materials for a student group

·         colored pencils or crayons

·         three pieces of white 8.5 x 11 in paper

·         pencil

Objectives:

Kids understand the science terms by illustrating each type of precipitation.

Terms:

·         Atmosphere: the layer of air that surrounds the earth.

·         Precipitation: any form of water that falls to the earth from the atmosphere.

·         Rain: water droplets that fall from the atmosphere to the earth.

·         Freezing rain: water droplets that fall from the atmosphere and freeze to ice when they contact the earth or another object.

·         Sleet: water droplets that fall from the atmosphere and freeze into ice pellets before hitting the earth.

·         Hail: frozen water droplets that grow larger while being held inside a cloud by strong updrafts.

·         snow: ice crystals that leave the cloud and don't melt before hitting the earth

Teacher’s Resource:

http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=1526

Pedagogy:

Read the humorous picture book Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judith Barrett to the students. Discuss the different things that came out of the sky in Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Ask if this is something that is fact, fiction, or opinion. Pass out the materials and explain that the students will be making a 34Precipitation Pamphlet &34 that will describe the common types of precipitation that we experience. Make the Pamphlet
Though there are many ways of folding the paper to make a pamphlet, for this activity I prefer having the students make a tiered pamphlet. I suggest making a sample pamphlet prior to guiding the students through the process.

To make a tiered pamphlet.

1.     Place two of the three sheets of paper on a flat surface; one exactly on top of the other with long edges on the sides (portrait orientation).

2.     Keeping the long edges adjacent, slide the top sheet of paper toward you so that the short edges are offset by about 2 to 3 cm.

3.     Place the next sheet of paper on top of the others and align the long edges. Offset it equal distance so you can see the tops of all the three sheets.

4.     Carefully take the short edges of paper closest to you and bend them toward the offset edges so that top sheet's bottom edge is offset 2 to 3 cm from its top edge.

5.     Crease the papers.

6.     Equally spaced along the fold and 2 mm from the fold, staple twice.

7.     Turn the pamphlet so the staples are along the top.

8.     If you did it correctly, you should have a six-page pamphlet that has tiered edges.

The pamphlet should look similar to this:

 ____________________________

|    -                -      |

|                            |

|  My Precipitation Pamphlet |

|                            |

|____________________________|

|   Rain                     |

|____________________________|

|   Freezing Rain            |

|____________________________|

|   Sleet or Ice Pellets     |

|____________________________|

|   Hail                     |

|____________________________|

|   Snow                     |

|____________________________|

Guide the students in illustrating and writing the descriptions for each type of precipitation

1.     Place a title on the top front page (i.e. My Precipitation Pamphlet)

2.     Have the students label each of the tiered edges with the different types of precipitation: rain, freezing rain, sleet or ice pellets, hail, snow

3.     Have the students lift up the top (title) page and draw an illustration of a cloud with rain coming out of it and hitting the ground

4.     Lift the next page and guide the students in illustrating and labeling how freezing rain leaves the cloud as a liquid and freezes when it hits the ground or another object (i.e. airplane, house, telephone line, etc.)

5.     For the sleet or ice pellet page have the students draw a cross section of the atmosphere showing how sleet leaves the cloud as liquid and passes through cold air and freezes into ice pellets that look like fertilizer granules or bean bag chair Styrofoam beads

6.     Have the students illustrate and label the hail page. Have them show the ice pellets going up and down inside the cloud to form hailstones and then dropping out and falling to the ground when they are too heavy for the updrafts to carry them

7.     Have them use the snow page to show how ice crystals form while in the cloud and stay frozen until they hit the earth. They may even like to draw some snowflakes.

Assessments:

·         Give the students a pre-test on the different types of precipitation prior to teaching the lesson.

·         Have the students create a graphic organizer showing many, varied, things that are associated with precipitation.

Adaptation/ Accommodations:

Integrate drawing into science to better understand precipitation process.

The lesson plan I chose fits the criteria for fourth grade on UEN.org and is appropriate for this age. The criteria met:

a.     Draw objects from a variety of perspectives; e.g., directly beneath, bird's-eye view, below, from the level of the surface upon which it sits.

b.     Use blocking-in, gesture drawing, and/or stick figures as start-up skills for drawing.

c.     Portray cast shadows as having shapes different from the objects that cast them.

d.     Use value, color, and texture to create interest.

e.     Observe and render the details of real objects with a high degree of accuracy; e.g., veins in a leaf, wrinkles in a cloth, mortar between brick, ridges in bark.

Art vs. Craft

On answers.com it claims that a craft is a project that uses objects and art to make the final product. Art is defined on Wikipedia as symbols arranged in a way that affects the feelings and thought of a person.  On sculpture.com it explained that the difference of art and a craft is the process it takes to get the finished product. In the book an example of art is a drawing and a craft is spool weaving. I think art and crafts are both important and neither one is more important than the other. It is important to teach the difference between the two. Both projects show artistic creativity. It might be easier to do art projects because crafts take time. Art projects and crafts help express individual creativity, which is important in teaching art.

Motivation

I am motivated to learn when I can relate the subject to my life and when I can visualize what is being taught. When I see how the material being taught will help me reach my overall goal in life I am more open to learning. I feel my students will be motivated when they see the importance of what is being taught. The book says that motivation needs to be short. If a teacher drags on with examples or directions the kids will be less likely to learn because they are bored. On the website suite101.com it said that students will be motivated if teachers stay positive. This is important to keep kids involved and willing to learn. It also said that providing praise and rewards will help students to keep working hard. On howtodothings.com it expressed that students need to see that they can succeed in the class so they will want to try. I believe these are important to motivating students. If a child isn’t motivated they won’t learn what they need to and you will fail them as a teacher.

How to Teach An Artist Statement

I would start teaching an artist statement by showing examples of art statements and explaining what an art statement is. In the book it says that kids need to look for individual styles of artists, look for the technique, and look for the importance of the features. I would help students understand this by showing them art work and have them point out what they see and what they think the artist was trying to say. On about.com it explained that an artist statement is a written statement that explains an art piece. I would also explain that the statement can be informal. I would also express that statement should build an understanding of the art work and help inform your audience of why you did what you did. On the website mollygordon.com it explained the artist statement as a recipe. I would help teach my students how to write an artist statement as if making food. For example the ingredients are the reflection you have about your art work. I would have students gather their “ingredients” by making a list of descriptive words and answering questions like:

                What do you like best about your art piece?

                What connections do you feel with your art work?

                How does your work make you feel?

                Why did you do what you did?

                How would you explain your artwork in words?

I would then make the students mix their “ingredients” and form their artist statement. I would then have the students let the “stew simmer” by leaving it and coming back to it. This can help better express what you are really trying to show. I would then have my students “taste” the statement by reading out loud to see if it flows and makes sense. I like this example; I think it would be fun to use this with my students. I think it would break down and show what an artist statement is.

Bamboo Tree

Painting the bamboo tree was calming and helped me feel relaxed. It was a different way to paint, but I enjoyed this project. I like the way my leaves improve and I am happy with the overall result.

My Bug Henry

My bug Henry was fun to make and he makes me feel happy. It was fun to make a creation that was based on a bug. This assignment help put my creativity to the test. I am happy with how Henry turned out.

Assessment Strategies

Summative

What did you learn from the lesson?

What would you change about your project?

Why do you think art is important?

What did you like about the project?

What did you dislike about the project?

Using a rubric

Formative

Show examples of previous student’s work

Give feedback on a project while a student is working on it

Allow students to make changes to their project

Have students involved with expectations of the project

Self and peer assessments

References

Text book

Bartelart.com

Eyeoneducation.com

Art Criticism

In the Art Criticism article on the Instructional 1 website it explains that an artist needs to be their own critic. To put this on an elementary level you can ask your students how they feel about their art work and what would they do to improve it. In the book it says that art criticism needs to help show kids what is acceptable art language. It also says that to teach proper criticism you should have kids look at examples and point out what they see. They can put two columns on a paper and put for and against. These columns would explain what type of words can be used and what can’t be used to describe one another’s art work. The book explains that to get the student’s to understand you need to ask them questions like what do they see or what does it mean. On the website Princetonol it gave an example of a worksheet where it lists the four parts of art criticism and then next to it there are boxes that say good, average, and needs work. They use this worksheet to practice the skills of art criticism. You give them examples of art work and let them work through the worksheet to gain a better understanding. In order for art criticism to work the kids need to be educated on art and understand what makes art. Art criticism can build an understanding of the true meaning of what an artist wanted to convey.

Picture of Me

Here is how I see myself without a mirror or a picture. I guess I’m a cartoon character, but I am a kid at heart.

Here is what I look like when I draw myself while looking at a picture. It’s more realistic and not cartoon like.

Here is my grid picture of myself. This was easier to do then just drawing the picture. It let me take it in small parts and not all at once.

8 Design Sqs

I put my imagination to the test and these 8 designs are the result.

Picasso Face

Picasso is the man! He inspired this face, which helped me see the beauty of his art.

Why Teach Art?

Well, first off art is awesome and kids like to learn awesome things. A teacher should have a variety of ways to help children learn and understand the material. Art can help children understand subjects through visual examples. In the text book it explains that art adds excitement and understanding to other subjects like math, history, and science. The book also expresses that it helps teach the differences of cultures, which helps kids be more accepting of the cultural differences in our society. In the “Why Teach Art?” article on EHow.com it says that art builds confidence in students by helping them develop talents and learn about who they are. It also states that it can be therapeutic because if people aren’t willing to express themselves with words they can express it through art. On Why Teach Art.com it says that creativity is in high demand with our growing society. It also mentions how art helps build problem solving skills and that is important in everyday life. I believe art helps children express themselves and find hidden talents they never knew they had. It helps them understanding of other subjects especially to visual learners. Art is an important factor in our education system; it can be an escape from stressful situations and can open a world by creative ideas. I feel without art in our schools children lose the opportunity for individual expression and growth.

I haven’t taken an art class since Jr. High so this was a fun project to reenter the world of art. My Mandala expresses a lot about me. I am a kid at heart and love Disney and Spongebob. I enjoy traveling with friends and family. I am going to be a teacher when I grow up. I love to learn so this class will teach me a lot since I know very little about art. I experimented with my markers by shading around my rulers. This was an interesting project and I can’t wait to do more!

Art

Art is in the eye of the beholder. What one person sees as art may not be viewed as art by another. It symbolizes emotions and beliefs of its artist. It also evokes emotions in those that view the creation. Art can vary from culture to culture and from generation to generation. Art is a broad term and means something different from person to person.