Fourth

Fourth Grade Fall Projects

Rotating Stamp Prints

Students created a basic stamp design then rotated it every four blocks to create a new pattern. We used printmaking, including brayers and block ink, to create these great designs.

Dias de los Muerto's Memorial Skulls

Fourth grade students decorated their Day of the Dead skull in memory of their loved ones who passed away. Students used symbolic imagery to represent their family member(s) while incorporating traditional Dia de los Muertos imagery. 

Non-Objective 

Students learned the term non-objective. We explored paint and brushstrokes to create a painting with no subject matter or objects, which we then cut up and reassemble. 

04/2014

4^th Grade Underground Railroad Quilts

During 4^th grade’s Underground Railroad unit, Mrs. Abercrombie and I created an integrated lesson in which students learned about the purpose, use, and importance of Underground Railroad quilts. Students observed and analyzed the symbols used and their meaning. We discussed issues that the slaves may have encountered while on the Underground Railroad and important markers to highlight along the way. Students were then tasked with designing their own quilt, complete with their own unique symbols and a story guide to detail their quilts path. Students used printmaking to create their quilts and created individual printing plates for each symbol. Then they printed their plates together to create a printed quilt that would serve as a map to guides their travelers to safety.

1/14/2014

FOURTH GRADE SNOWMEN

Fourth grade students embraced the snowy weather and created snowmen. However, instead of showing their snowman from just one angel, we discussed perspective and the many different ways in which we can observe snowmen. Students were tasked with demonstrating their understanding of perspective by presenting 4 unique views of their individual snowmen. They focused particular attention on overlapping, shadows, and perspective details.

11/5/2013

4^th Grade Day of the Dead Skull Prints

One of my favorite lessons to teach is about the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead, or Dias de los Muertos. Dias de los Muertos focuses on the gathering of family and friends to pray for and remember their loved ones that have passed away. The celebration takes place on November 1^stand 2^nd in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints Day and All Soul’s Day. Traditions for Dias de los Muertos includes sugar skulls, remembrance alters, parades, marigolds, and many festivals.

Fourth grade students researched and discussed the artist Jose Posada and his artwork. We analyzed the use of line in his prints, as well as, the purpose behind his subject matter. Once we were inspired, fourth grade students created two of their own Dias de los Muertos skulls, focusing on representing designs that are symbolic verses designing skulls that we typically see during Halloween. Fourth grade students used sheets of Styrofoam to etch their skull designs with pencils. From there, students rolled ink onto the plates using brayers. This allowed the ink to sit on top of the plates and leave the line designs that were etched.

Once prints were complete, students wrote a story about each of their skull designs in their sketchbooks. The students did an amazing job of incorporating commonly seen symbols in Day of the Dead skulls with their own design styles. I was very impressed with each student’s focus and craftsmanship while creating and printing their two skulls, as well as, the stories they created in their sketchbooks.

10/10/2013

Update! Non-Objective Collages are currently hanging in the main entrance.

10/1/2013

Cut up and reassemble. 

September 25, 2013

Non-Objective Greenbaum Collages

4th Grade students began their Greenbaum art project by discussing non-objective art. Non-Objective is definedas: representing or intended to represent no natural or actual object, figure, or scene. 

Students started to create their artworks by painting a large piece of paper with no purpose, objects, or intent. They were told to focus solely on experimentation of brush strokes, mixture of color, textures created through paint, and how the colors lay next to one another. This was the first step of the project and there are still 4 more steps! Next, students will add fine lines to their artworks using oil pastels and metallic pens. Be sure to check back for progress updates because this is a fun project for the kids!

Ink Monsters

Inspired by Stefan Bucher

Students took a trip to the computer lab, where they researched and viewed Stefan Bucher's Daily Monster. Bucher created a different monster, inspired from a blown ink blot, every single day for 1 year and recorded the process. Students observed this process, analyze how Bucher's form of art is unique to our generation, and then used his technique to create their own Ink Monsters. 

Here, students are blowing the ink on their paper, which will inspire their monster creations!