What We Are Working On

1st Grade- Students are drawing a food that has details.  They are creating two additional items to go with their food (Plate, drink, fork, etc.).  They are using their food and items to create a repeating pattern on the edge of their paper.  The border creates a frame for their composition.  They are using marker to add color to their piece.  The work is in the style of the artist Wayne Thiebaud, who used repetition and often painted desserts.
2nd Grade- Students are learning to draw instruments and figures.  They have to pick at least 4 instruments and have a person playing them to create a band.  They are working on creating realistic shapes and details.  They learn to outline their drawings using thick lines for bold shapes, and thin lines for the details.  They add color using four shading techniques.  They fill the shapes with hatching (diagonal lines), cross-hatching (diagonal lines going both ways), scumbling (circles), and dotting (pointillism).  They use a wide view, or panorama, to show all of their band members on their final.
3rd Grade-  Students are beginning their hybrid animal project.  They are planning and designing a new species using the features of two different animals.  The animals cannot be from the same class (ex. both mammals).  They decide what features of each animal to use and create a drawing of what they want their animal to look like.  The second part of their plan is where they show how they will create 3-dimensional forms out of each part of the animal.  Each 2-dimensional shape (like a leg) will be made by either twisting, crumpling or folding newspaper.  The forms are taped and connected to create an armature, a basic 3-dimensional structure that will be the foundation of their sculpture.
4th Grade-  Students are designing buildings like an architect.  They plan for the shape, windows and color choices.  They each receive a foam rectangular prism that they will create a model out of.  They have the option of carving into the block to alter its form, or keep it as is.  They paint each surface of their model using tempera paint in preparation for drawing their windows and adding their additional colors.