Finished Collage!

   This week our classes put the final touches onto our art work. Just like all the other steps before hand, we did a practice sheet before putting the printing onto our work. We did this because the students tend to get carried away with painting the bubbles. Before practicing we talked about the two colors we were using (blue, and light blue.) We talked about how the color light blue is made and is called a tint. The students really liked mixing the two colors and experimenting while printing the bubbles.

      At the end of class we also had a class discussion about all the things we learned while making this collage. We mentioned seaweed, coral reefs, sand dollars, starfish, sea shells, and bubbles! The students discovered that a lot of different techniques and information went into this particular project.

Learning about Sea Shells

Today we talked about what we achieved over the last few classes. We made the connection that we have created fish and an aquarium for the fish to live in. Next we reviewed the different plants in the sea. We then discussed that we were going to add sea shells to our aquarium back drops. We then looked at slides of various shells and talked about the different shapes and lines we saw in them. We pointed out horizontal and vertical lines and geometrical shapes. Doing this, the students really understood how to go about drawing the shells. Once we finished talking about the slides, I passed out trays of diverse shells to so the students could feel the textures!! We talked about the rough and smooth shells. All the students were really excited to fully engage and touch the shells.

The students made beautiful shells on their practice sheets and next class we will be putting them onto their aquarium floor collage.

Colorful Fish!!

    Today was a great day because we began to paint our fish! This step of directions seemed to be the easiest for the students and they all did a beautiful job. We wanted to paint in big shapes that our textures created or make designs of our own. Because our fish are sculptures we have to paint all sides and including the edges.

WE CREATED

DIVERSE FISH

BECAUSE

THERE IS ALOT OF DIFFERENT FISH IN THE SEA. 

A Fish's Home

    Because the students made fish last class, we discussed that we need to create a habitat for our fish to live in! In order to create a habitat that will be livable for our fish, we needed to know what was in their habitat. Therefor we looked at ocean life pictures and pointed out all the different plants and organisms. We noticed things like sea weed, kelp, anemones, coral reefs, polyps, plankton, starfish, sponges, and many different colors. It was important to understand that ocean life is very bright, colorful, and beautiful.

      For the assignment we used tracing paper to do the work on because the work is going to be back lit like an aquarium. We also used modge podge and torn tissue paper to place the images together. This was done by overlapping colors and making shapes out of torn paper. The students really made some beautiful work that they were really proud of. This project also gets pretty messy.

 

Clay Fish!

   Who wouldn't love to make a clay fish!?? So far the kindergarten classes really loved making these beautiful fish. While giving the demonstration we first learned how to roll the clay. Most of the students knew how to do this because they have previously rolled clay this school year. Next was a very difficult task for the students because they had to hold down the cardboard shaped fish while cutting around it. Doing two tasks at once became slight difficult for some of the students, and a breeze for others. From here you can really see who has more advanced motor skills then some other of the students.

   Once the fish were completely cut out, the students had to show me they were ready to move to the next step. The next part of making the fish was to add the texture!!! Texture? What is texture? Well kindergarten students didn't really understand what the word texture means so we found objects in the room that had smooth texture and rough bumpy texture. The students learned that texture is how a surface looks and feels! They really enjoyed feeling different objects and describing their textures!  When the students understood what texture meant, we then added texture to our fish. We had a big box of different materials that worked very well. The students really liked getting creative and mixing up textures to make their fish.

 

The Class's Fish!!!

Doing my own lesson!!

   Today I started my very own lessons with the kindergarten students. The lesson is focused on ocean life because the students are learning about this topic in their original classrooms. The Ark Charter School does this with all their art projects and is a great idea to do because it makes a deeper connection for the students. Todays lesson began with reading a book called Hooray for Fish. This was a fun and cute book to start the lesson because the students got to see all the different types of fish they can create.

    Throughout the book we pointed out different shapes, colors, and designs we saw. One part in the book their were three fish and each were yellow, blue, and red. We talked about the fish being primary colors, and how other fish in the book were secondary colors. We even used math during the lesson as well because we counted fish on certain pages. This book was fun to read because the students laughed really hard at certain parts. One part they loved was when there was a fat fish, or an upside down fish. And of course all the students had to say ewwwwwwwww when the little fish kissed the mom fish. I just found the students so comical with the reactions they had.

   Next in class I had a small conversation with the students about the different fish they saw and which fish they would like to make. I told the students that fish are really simple to make as long as you break them up into simple shapes. From here I gave the students a demonstration on how to draw some fish and their surroundings. While the students began to work, I then put on the video version of Hooray for Fish so all the students could see the image and gather some ideas. The movie was a hit as well. The class and I did a great job so far!!

 

Finishing up work for the art show!

    Today the kindergarteners finished their Keith Harring graffiti trains. Their focus was to trace and cut out wheels for their train cars. I noticed that this was a very difficult task for some of the students. I had to constantly remind the students to go very slow and take their time. I would also have to tell them to stay on the line they drew and turn the paper as they cut. Another task the students had to do was to connect the trains and put designs on the wheels. I thought it was funny that one of the circles I had in front of me I put a smiley face on. I did not notice that this would start a trend because when I looked around the room, all of the students had smiley faces on their wheels! Ms. Helen and I had a little laugh together and I realized why teacher examples can be difficult to have. I see that the students really want to copy what they see and sometimes giving them simple directions with a little bit of freedom will let them be much more creative.

     In the first grade classes the students finished their paintings and had to do some writing. The students had to create a title for the paintings and explain why they named it that. One of my students that I have been closely working with had a really great story. Because his painting was of a home of him, his sister, and mother, I assumed this was a happy picture. He then told me that it was sad and he painted this because his dad was unable to be in the picture. I asked him why and he told me that his dad was in jail and he missed him. So he decided to name his picture  Lonely Without My Dad. I just thought it was so sad and very touching. I also was impressed how many of the students came up with such interesting tittles. I expected the obvious tittles, but the students came up with some really great and meaningful tittles and reasons.


    Once the first graders were done writing they began to learn about caves. This was funny because the students chose very interesting words to describes the caves shown in class. Many of the students called the stalagmites hanging from the celling either drooling or icicles.  It made me laugh because it is obvious the stalagmites are neither of them but the students didn't know the vocabulary words to describe them. Most of the students really got into their watercolor paintings quickly and had some great ideas for making them scary.

 

Week 4

 

   My fourth week at the Ark Community Charter School has been great just like the rest. The students and I have returned from winter break and my mother has finished cleaning out my little sister's closets. Having six huge bags of clothes, I thought it would be a nice to donate the clothes to the girls at the school. I know they will really love the clothes and hopefully there isn't a fight over them.

    Returning back to school the kindergarteners were still learning about transportation. This time the students were creating trains with graffiti. This was all based around Keith Harring's work of art and how his graffiti was a positive message to the community. We focused on love, friends, family, and working together as a team. Graffiti can be used as a good thing, as long as you get permission.

    Returning from break I also have been teaching nearly almost every class. The students respond extremely well to me and pay close attention. Sometimes it is even a fight to be able to work with me during class. I am very appreciated by the students in this school even though they require a lot of cleaning up after : )