4th Grade Japanese Landscape Scrolls

4th Grade Japanese Landscape Scrolls

     4th graders took a look at Japanese landscape scrolls and Japanese architecture. Students created their own landscape scrolls using pencil, skinny Sharpie marker, and colored pencils. Students focused on creating a landscape that showed the foreground, the middle ground, and the background. Students were asked to place at least 3 structures into their drawing... one in each space (f.g., m.g., b.g.). Students focused on the following learning targets for this lesson:
-I can create a landscape drawing that shows the foreground, middle ground, and background spaces.
-I can drawing at least 3 different structures, a large one in the foreground, a medium sized one in the middle ground, and a small one in the background.
-I can use at least 5 different values of green in my drawing.
-I can show light shading, cross-hatching, and blending in my drawing.

4th Grade Kimmy Cantrell Fish

4th Grade Kimmy Cantrell Fish

     4th graders created clay fish sculptures that were inspired by the work of sculpture artist, Kimmy Cantrell. For this lesson students first rolled out slabs of clay, then used additive sculpture methods to add on eyes, fish, and designs. Wooden tools and clay stamps were used to add patterns and textures to the fish. Students focused on the following learning targets for this lesson:

-I can create a clay sculpture that shows additive sculpture methods.

-I can create actual texture on my clay sculpture.

-I can attach my clay sculpture together properly by slipping and scoring.

4th Grade Robot Unit

4th Grade Robot Unit

     4th graders completed a robot unit that involved drawing, coloring, stamp-making, texture relief rubbings, and printmaking. Students were tasked with designing and drawing their own robot. From there, stamps were built out of cardboard, tag board, and glue. Students used the stamps to create texture relief rubbings from, followed by ink to create prints from them. Students also learned about how printmakers label their prints. For this unit, students worked on the following learning targets:

- I can combine a variety of lines and shapes to create a detailed and interesting robot.

- I can overlap and layer shapes to create a detailed stamp.

- I can use my stamp to create multiple prints of the same image. 

- I can show careful use of craftsmanship in my drawing, coloring, and printmaking.

4th & 5th Grade Calder Stabiles

4th & 5th Grade Calder Stabiles

      Students took a look at the large stabiles of Alexander Calder. Calder's sculptures dealt with balance, often using large flat shapes that intersecting one another. Here are a few examples:

     Students were given tag board, scissors, and a base, and were tasked to cut out and intersect shapes to create their own stabile. Students were shown how to create slits in the paper shapes in order to intersect them together. The goal of the project was for each student to create a stabile that would stand up and balance. For this lesson, students worked on the following learning targets:

- I can create a 3-D paper sculpture that is balanced.

- I can show careful use of craftsmanship with my cutting.

4th Grade Pine Cone Sculptures

4th Grade Pine Cone Sculptures

     4th graders were given the task of turning a pine cone into a sculpture of their choice. Students had access to a variety of craft supplies and glue. When complete, the sculpture needed to be able to stand up.

4th Grade Halloween Silhouettes

4th Grade Halloween Silhouettes

     4th graders created Halloween silhouette paintings. For this project, students worked on overlapping and blending a variety of white, yellow, orange, and red paints in the background to show a value change from lightest to darkest orange. Students used acrylic paint for this project. Black acrylic was used to paint on tree branches and figures in silhouette. Students chose to paint on paper or cardboard. For this project, students worked on the following learning targets:
- I can show a value change in my painting from lightest to darkest. 

- I can blend different values together (no lines between different values).

- I can show careful use of craftsmanship with my painting.

4th Grade Still Life Stools

4th Grade Still Life Stools

     4th graders created still life drawings of stools. Students chose a color scheme to use to paint in the negative space in the background. Students learned the difference between positive space (where something is, or an object), and negative space (empty space). Students could choose to create a patterned background, or to creatively blend colors. For this project students worked on the following learning targets:

- I can combine lines and shapes to create an accurate drawing of a stool. 

- I can identify and use a color scheme in my work.

- I can explain the difference between positive and negative space. 

4th Grade Line Variety Drawings

4th Grade Line Variety Drawings

     4th graders worked on using a variety of lines to create an interesting, detailed drawing. Students chose an animal to cut out from a magazine and collage onto their paper. Students were to invent a detailed environment around their animal, using a combination of pencils and Sharpie markers. Students were to show at least 5 different kinds of lines in their work... straight, thin, thick, dotted, dashed, zig-zag, squiggle, ocean waves, spiral, jagged, and so on... Students were working on the following learning targets in this project:

- I can use at least 5 different kinds of lines in my drawing.

- I can create a detailed and balanced environment around my animal.

- I can show careful use of craftsmanship in my drawing.