2nd Grade: Mr. Seahorse Inspired

I believe a few other art teachers out there have done something like this before- they turned out so cute! This is a three day lesson.  First day, I read the students Mr. Seahorse by Eric Carle.  That same day I do a step by step drawing of a sea horse as the kids follow along in pencil on white construction paper.  They outline their drawing with black crayon or permanent marker would work too.  Next class, the take pre-cut tissue squares and overlap them one at a time placing them onto the seahorse, painting over each square with water to get the colors to bleed and the tissue paper to lay flat.  Third day, the tissue paper (once dry) falls right off, and they re-use them to cut out fin and spikes.  First they cut the seahorse out on their black line, and then they glue it onto a colorful piece of construction paper (their choice).  Finally they take a glue stick and outline the head and back of their sea horse, and cut up shapes from their tissue paper to stick onto the glue for fin and spikes.

2nd Grade: Matisse Pattern Pumpkin

I'm finally getting some projects posted! Sorry I've been MIA!  This project was a fun one, borrowed from another art teacher in my school district.  First day we talked about patterns and spent class painting 3 different patterns on three different papers.  We painted with purple paint on the purple paper (9x12), orange paint on the orange paper (6x9), and green paint on the green paper (6x9).  We had just finished learning about primary colors and now we focused on secondary colors.  Next class, students used the purple paper for their background, cut the green paper in half long ways for the grass, and cut out a big oval on the organge paper for the pumpkin.  They used some of their leftover green paper for the stem.  They collaged all of those together and we discussed overlapping.  Last class students make leaves from red and yellow construction paper, and outlined everything in glue. Finally they sprinkled on glitter and voila!

2nd Grade: Vincent Van Gogh Sunflowers

After learning about Vincent and his sunflowers, we did a step by step drawing of the sunflowers in pencil.  Students then traced over pencil with sharpies and added their name in the vase.  Second day we began painting just the flowers and stems.  Third day, we painted the vase, table and background.  I love how they all turn out so different! These made wonderful Mother's Day gifts as well!

2nd Grade: Starry Night

This is a 3 week lesson and each one turns out so cute!  First day we look at Starry Night here and I give the students a palette of sky blue, regular blue, black and white tempera.  They mix right onto the paper to make the sky.  I challenge them to try and mix as many different shades of blue as possible. Lastly they add the swirls with white tempera and a small brush.  Second day, they add the hill, tree, and moon by cutting and gluing construction paper.  They add stars, glow, and tree texture with oil pastels.  Last day, they create a village using colorful construction paper and glue sticks.  They can make houses, churches, libraries, schools, skycrapers, etc.  They get pretty creative with this part. I love the variety I get with this project!

2nd Grade: "Sakura"- Cherry Blossoms

This was a lesson I had started about a month ago to decorate our halls for our Japanese culture night we have every year at our school.  It just so happened to coincide with the very unfortunate events that have been taking place there now.  The school walls look lovely and at the same time in a bittersweet way, seem to serve as a reminder of the beautiful and fragile relationship the people of Japan have with nature.

For this lesson we talk about the first sights of Spring and how exciting it can be to see buds on a tree start to blossom this time of year in parts of the world.  (not Chicago, quite yet!)  We look at Van Gogh's blossoming Peach tree paintings, http://www.googleartproject.com/museums/vangogh/flowering-plum-tree-after-hiroshige-44 (you can see one here) and I also show the brilliant illustrations from the fabulous book, Zen Shorts, by Jon Muth:

The first day we create the branches of the tree.  I explain to the kids that we are making a close up of the tree.  I give them each a piece of cut-up cardboard small enough to fit easily in their hand (cardboard boxes that all my supplies come in).  I give them brown and black paint on a tray and show them how to scrape paint on the tray and then onto their paper to create a branch.  Then they use the cardboard piece almost as a stamp to add small twigs and branches sprouting out.  (This is the same technique I use for my winter birch trees lesson, filed under 4th grade).  The second day we use chalk pastel to add color between the branches and a paper towel wrapped around a finger to blend it all together.  Finally that same day, they add white, pink, or red tempera paint using a q-tip- which they think is just sooooo funny, and although I tell them many times they are not "used" q-tips they still think it is gross for some reason! ha!  I added the black construction paper to give them a scroll painting look.