1st Grade Asian Art: Cherry Blossom Scrolls

 

1st Grade Snowmen

We read the book, Snowmen At Christmas.  We talked about what rhyming words are and students listened for them in the story.  Students learned how to blend chalk using the color wheel.  They had to put colors next to each other only if they were next to each other on the color wheel.  We talked about what would happen if we mixed opposite colors.  The first graders did a great job with their first experience with chalk pastels!

1st Grade Skeletons (Dia de los Muertos)

El Dia de los Muertos is a tradition that is celebrated in Mexico for over 500 years.  It is celebrated on November 1^st and 2^nd.  This is a time to remember and honor loved ones who have passed away.  It is not supposed to be sad or scary; it’s a time to celebrate life itself.  In Mexico on these two days people create altars that are filled with food, photographs, candles, skulls, flowers, etc. to remember all the great memories from those who have passed away.  Some Mexicans decorate and set up altars at the grave sites as well.  The calavera, or skeleton is an important symbol during Dia del los Muertos.  On these two special days there are many types of toys, food, masks and miniatures made to look like skulls or skeletons.  

1st Grade Underwater Art

Whenever there is a music concert I always collaborate with the music teacher at our school and create artwork that goes along with the theme of the concert to hang in the commons for their performance.  The K/1 Concert this year was about underwater songs so all the students created and an art project revolving around the great barrier reef which tied into our Aboriginal Art Unit we just did!  

1st Grade Aboriginal Art

Aboriginal art originated in Australia over 30,000 years ago.  Many of the aborigines traveled long distances and recorded their travels by using symbols.  The symbols they created using only lines and dots in a repeated pattern. Aboriginal art has many of the earth tone colors because they used to make their paint from materials in nature.  UNITY and REPETITION are seen throughout the aboriginal art we looked at because of the repeated dots used to create symbols.  The students were able to create their own piece of aboriginal art using dots and aboriginal symbols.

1st Grade Leaf Prints

The first grade students learned about the changes that happen to a tree throughout the year from the book, Sky Tree.  After reading the book we discussed the different changes that happen and students had a chance to share which image in the story was their favorite and why.  Students then learned what texture is by feeling the texture on a real leaf.  Students were able to learn about the printmaking process and how when you print something you can get the same image over and over.  Students used white paint to print leaves throughout their paper.  Students also learned about the warm and cool colors.  Students used the warm colors to outline their leaves and the cool colors to print and fill their background space.  Students also learned that when you mix white to a color it gets lighter or called a tint.  Finally students were able to add some gold metallic paint to the veins of their leaves to make them pop out!

1st Grade Kandinksy

This year in 1st Grade we are really focusing on learning Lines and Shapes.  Kandinsky is a fabulous artist to discuss these two elements.  Students were able to be create with where they chose to put their lines and shapes using oil crayons.  They they painting with tempera cakes overlapping to create a beautiful Kandinsky inspired piece of art.

1st Grade Mexican Mirrors

1st Grade Penguins