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. 

Junior Pre-K Spider Webs

Junior Pre-K Spider Webs

For this unique and fun project, students began by talking about spiders and spider webs. This included the purpose of spider webs, how they are made, how many legs they have, and what they thought about spiders and spider webs in general. To start the project, students created Styrofoam printing plates of their spider webs. Then, they inked their spider web print plates and then the ink transferred the design onto paper. We carefully rubbed the back of plates so that all of the ink would transfer. In the next class, students created their spiders using chenille stems, which were cut and coiled to create life-like fuzzy spiders. They turned out extremely unique and spooky, which is perfect for the Halloween season!

4th Grade Day of the Dead Skull Prints

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.

Senior Pre-K Hand "Prints"

Kindergarten students began the school year learning about warm and cool colors, while also looking at the artworks of Andy Warhol. Student used their knowledge of warm and cool colors to create a 4 colored blocks, in which they then placed their hands. 

Reinforcing the techniques of cutting with scissors and tracing their hand (which is important in kindergarten classes) students traced their hand 4 times and then cut them out. 

We then glued down each hand print into the 4 squares, and then used our hands to make prints. On top of each handprint cutout, students added a print of their hand.

The results were fabulous!