I am a star!

My plan was to do this with my fourth graders at the end of the year but I ended up doing it with some of the 5th grade as well.  In the future I think I'll keep it a 5th grade project because it makes for a nice display at their moving on ceremony!
Students created a 3 dimensional star using different patterns, and wrote all the ways that they shine!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Kindergarten read the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  They learned how to draw their own caterpillars and collaged it together with a background.

The Biggest House in the world

At the end of the year I like to keep it simple with fun little drawing projects. First graders read the story The Biggest House in the World about a little snail who grows his shell into something like a circus tent!  Students drew their own snails with amazing designs and patterns.

End of the year Matisse

I love doing a Matisse inspired collage at the end of the year.  It allows me to use all those beautiful scraps of paper I've been collecting all year long!

Rotation Prints

Fifth grade discussed the importance of math and symmetry in the art of many cultures around the world, Islamic art, Celtic, African art, and rangoli designs from India.  Students designed their own symmetrical piece using graph paper, transferred it to an eraser block and used markers to stamp their design in a rotating pattern

Degas Dancers

First graders were introduced to Degas by watching the cartoon Mati and Dada.  These two characters magically transport themselves to Paris to meet the famous artist Edgar Degas and discus his work with him!  After this brief introduction to the artist students learned how ballerinas move by trying a few ballet moves themselves!  While moving we paid particular attention to the lines and shapes created by our bodies.  Finally, students used lines and shapes to draw their own dancers.  Coffee filters that were decorated with patterns and then sprayed with water were used to create the skirt for our dancers.

Ancient Mayan Masks

https://www.dkfindout.com/us/history/mayans/
Third graders traveled to Mexico via the smartboard to discover some of the ruins left behind by the Ancient Maya in the city of Palenque.  We watched a video from the history channel where we were able to explore deep inside the stone pyramid know as the Temple of the Inscriptions.  There archaeologists found the tomb of Pacal along with the jade mosaic mask that was placed on him as a death made made of pieces of jade.  Students designed their own paper mosaic Mayan masks

Stained Glass

Fourth Graders learned about Frank Lloyd Wright- one of the great American architects.  In addition to designing structures, Wright also designed a number of stained glass windows to compliment his buildings.  These were abstracted designs that might describe the space they were intended for.  Students worked in teams to design and create their own stained glass windows for specific areas of the school.