First Grade Bodies in Motion

We have just completed a three week unit in first grade all about the body. It is pretty similar to what we did in first grade last year.

Week One: We had all the chairs and tables pushed up against the walls and we worked on the floor. Everyone had a clipboard, pencil, and plenty of scrap paper. We looked at our bodies and realized that normally when we draw people, they look like boards--straight and stiff with no bending. So we moved our bodies and figured out all the places and directions our bodies can bend. We talked a little about bones and joints as well. Then we took turns modeling in our craziest, bendiest poses as we drew short--30 seconds to a minute--gesture drawings. We especially loved it when the classroom teachers modeled for us.

Week Two: On this day we remember all the joints that we talked about last week. Then we created "Geometric Kids" using card stock shapes. Then we carefully repeated our kids in crayon rubbings.

Week Three: We finished the unit by making bodies in motion out of paper strips and glue. We looked at Kieth Harings artwork, then added "energy lines" to our pictures.

The Art Anumls

When kids finish their projects early in class, I like to give them the chance to have free drawing time. I think no kids can ever have too much time to draw. I love to see what they do, when they get to choose on their own. Often they will do another quick version of the project that they just finished. Sometimes they totally surprise me.

A first grader named Zac made this completely beautiful drawing yesterday. These "Art Anumls" are awesome. I wonder where he found his inspiration.

Weaving

I am excited about our current project at Iron Springs. I have reserved a traveling exhibit from the Utah Arts Counsel called Navajo Children: Weaving the Future. It will be on display in our school for one month, starting next week.

All grades from 1 to 5 are deep in weaving projects right now, all involving math, sort of. For my first graders, we are doing paper strip weaving and we're practicing ABC patterns.

The second graders are doing drinking straw weaving to make wrist cuffs (thick bracelets.) I think the over/under pattern is a good brain challenge for them.

The third, fourth and fifth graders are weaving tiny rugs on cardboard looms. We're really stretching our brains on these because we had to do quite a bit of ruler work to set up our patterns and prepare for our warp strings. We even brought in fractions a little bit, as we talked about dividing the rug into half or quarters as we thought up our stripe patterns.

We'll be having a mini arts night to show off the Navajo weaving (and our own creations, whether they are finished or not) on October 8th. This will also be a time to learn about becoming a member of the Friends of artworks for kids! organization. This grassroots group is working hard to save funding for my position, and those of 49 other art teachers across the state of Utah through the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program. I hope we have a great turn out.

I'll post picture of our weaving as we finish up. Look forward to it!

Picasa Slideshow

I'm experimenting with picasa's slideshow. Let's see if I can embed it here. Plus, our school has a totally awesome new digital picture frame hanging by the office. It was donated by the Beverly Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program. Check it out to see great pictures of student art from our school.

District Art Coordinator

Lesson Plans

I presented at the Utah Art Education Association's (UAEA) spring art conference a week or so ago and promised everyone that I'd post the lesson plans here on this site. I've had some technical frustrations but I finally have them online and ready to go.  Here is a link to the site where I have them posted now. I'll try to post other lesson plans there in the future.  I'll put this link on the side here and remember that I've also linked to the Iron County School District site, which has lesson plans too.

Animals In Winter

Here it is.  Enjoy.