Origami Bird at Turnbull Wildlife Refuge

Origami Bird at Turnbull Wildlife Refuge

Medium:  Watercolors and Origami Paper

Reason for Less:  To teach the blending and use of watercolor and teach the folding of paper "Origami" into shapes

Label: Origami and WaterColor

Prep Time:  10 minutes

Preparation prior to class:  Limits to only gathering supplies

Class TIme:  1 hour

Materials:  

• 6x12 Watercolor Paper 
• watercolors
• sharpie
• Brush and water bowl
• Origami 5x5 Paper

Lessons for Instruction:

After a recent field trip to Spokane's Turnbull Wildlife Refuge, the 4th graders were able to record the scenery of their trip while learning a new artistic craft of Origami Birds.  Origami (Japanese for Paper Folding) is a great way to end our year in art.  For those students who are inspired by this project, they may paper craft their former studies into great little shapes all summer long. :)  I found this truly simple Origami Bird at FreeKidsCrafts, where there are not only simple birds, but frogs, fish and much more.  Before students begin their assignment, they should reflect on the Habitats they studied during their field trip:

• The Aspens
• The Wetlands
• Ponderosa Pine Woodlands

• Biscuit and Swale Prairies

  
  
  
  

  Begin with the simple Origami Bird:

Then the watercolor Habitat:

Wintery Trees…Watercolor Fun

Wintery Trees…Watercolor Fun

Medium:  Watercolors and oil pastel

Reason for Less:  To teach the blending and use of watercolor and the relationship/effect between oil pastel and watercolor

Label: Line Drawing

Prep Time:  10 minutes

Preparation prior to class:  Limits to only gathering supplies

Class TIme:  1 hour

Materials:  

• 9x12 Watercolor Paper 
• watercolors
• sharpie
• Brush and water bowl
• brown oil pastel
• foam blender

Instructions to Lead Lesson:

Step 1:  Using sharpie, with freehand technique, have students draw long line branches.  Just as people, trees are not perfect…have students explore imperfections of the tree such as bent branches, even broken branches, crossed branches, etc.

Step 2:  Have students fill in the branches with lines of age and experience.  A few nods are fun to add too.

Step 3:  Color in tree with Brown Oil Pastel.  Color lightly and use blending foam to move color.

Step 4:  Now the fun begins using watercolors.   Suggest the students stick to the cool colors of night, cold and snow, or perhaps use the warm colors of the sun melting the sun and warming the soon to be spring air.  Try to encourage students to blend the colors together, not have too big of blocks of one particular color.  Like seen here...

Step 5:  When complete, students will appreciate the scape of a chilly wintery scene…or bringer days to come. 

Thank you!

Wampum Belt/Bookmark...Storytelling with Beads

Wampum Belt/Bookmark...Storytelling with Beads

Wampum Belts are traditional strings of shell beads of the Native American Indians.  Strings and belts of wampums were used for storytelling, asking for marriage, used as a gift, used to declare war or peace between two groups, used as money, and also used, instead of writing, to record treaties or historical events.  With our 4th graders learning about the Native American Indians, this creative project gives a brief example of how this Indian art is made.  Following is the step by step process for making a small Wampum Belt...but in this case only big enough to be a bookmark.

In preparation for the class, beads were divided into separate bags...and in this case, each student received 5 colors, 20 beads of each color, with 100 beads total for the project.  Prior to weaving the project, each student laid out their design on a design sheet first.

or~

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Then prepare the loom.  Use ridge 2" by 12" cardboard, make slits on both sides to help hold the weaved yarn.  I also put a "start" marker on the loom so that the student would start the bead string in a spot for easy tie-off when complete.

Tape off tail in the back...

Wind yarn through slits and wrap around loom...

Secure with tape on backside...

Tie on loom string, the working string at start position...

Secure tail of this string with masking tape on back.  String should be plenty long to be able to tie off when beading is complete...

Start stringing beads.  Start with the bottom bead at row one...

Push beads down needle of thread and place under loom strings, EXCEPT for the bottom string...the needle should be over the bottom string like shown below.

Pull though.  Each bead should be separated by a string...

Then, pull needle though beads to secure.  Notice how the exposed needle is over the red thread.

Continue through the entire pattern of bead.  Again, starting for the bottom bead on the next row...

After stringing the beads, bottom rows will appear like this...

Top rows like this...

After rows are complete, wrap working string under loom strings and tie through loop as shown...

Tie off 2 or 3 times to ensure secured string.

When complete, will look like this...

Remember when you tied off the tail of the working string?  Unfasten the working strings tail and tie-off the other end.

Pull working string under loom as shown...

Pull the end of the string through loop and pull tight...

Will look like this when complete.  Repeat 2 or 3 times to ensure tight secure.

Lastly, cut off yarn at both ends of the loom, like shown...

When project is complete, Wampum Belt will look like the design student prepped on design sheet

These turned out really colorful and fun!

Shapely Polar Bear for the Winter Extravaganza Party

Shapely Polar Bear for the Winter Extravaganza Party

Materials:  

• 9x11 Black construction paper (body of the bear)
• 9x11 Dark blue construction paper (background)
• 9x11 White construction paper halved (snow)
• White and Black chalk/soft pastels
• Black oil pastels
• Scissors
• Glue

Prep Time:  20 minutes

Preparation prior to class:  9x11 white paper needs to be cut in half.  Gather additional supplies for the classroom.  Students can use their own scissors and glue.

Class Time:  1 hour

Reason for Lesson:  This lesson was chosen to show the kids that through the use of basic shapes (Element of Art) an artist can create a more complex object, in this case, a polar bear.   The finished product will be displayed during the Winter Extravaganza.

Instructions: 

STEP 1:  Preparing the background

                    Each student should have one dark blue paper and 1/2 of a white paper.  Carefully tearing along one of the longer ends of the white paper will create the snow effect for our background.  Next, glue the white paper to the bottom of the dark blue construction paper.  Matching up the clean edges on both.

STEP 2: Polar Bear

                     Using the white chalk on the black construction paper the student is ready to make their bear!  Starting with the head of the bear, use the side of the chalk to make a large round shape in the middle of the paper, filling in with the chalk.  Next, the body will extend down from the head to the bottom of the paper.  The neck of the polar bear should be more tapered than the body.  Again, fill in the body with the side of the chalk.  To create the ears, the student will make small circles on either side of the head, fill them in.  Students will then use their fingers to gently blend the chalk to remove any harsh lines, adding more chalk if necessary.

STEP 3:  Creating the Face

                       Using the black oil pastel, the students will make the facial features of the polar bear.  First is the nose.  In the lower half of the round head, start by drawing an upside down triangle and fill it in with the oil pastel.  From the bottom tip create the mouth by making a "J" and a backwards "J".  ***Optional:  from the top corners of the nose the students can draw short inward angled lines***  Next, come the eyes.  The student can choose to draw round or almond shaped eyes and then add a black circle for the pupil.  Now, fill in the inner ear with the black pastel.  Finally, by using the black chalk the student will rub a little under the chin to create a shadow.

STEP 4:  Cutting the Bear Out

                    The students will cut their bear out, following along the edge of the chalk line.  The students can now glue their bear onto the prepared background paper.

          

STEP 5:  Finishing Touches

                     The students will add snowflakes and wind to their pieces using the white chalk.

                 

Credit:  www.artventurous.blogspot.com

Mixed Up Names: Line Drawing

Mixed Up Names: Line Drawing 

Medium:  Markers

Reason for Lesson:  Lesson was designed to create an understanding of lines and negative space.

Label:  Line drawing

Prep Time: 5 mins, get a piece of paper and sharpie for each student.  

Preparation prior to lesson:  Collect one 8x11 piece of white contruction paper for each student. 

Class Time: 1 hour.

Materials:  

• 1 8x11 piece of white watercolor paper for each student
• Pencil
• Sharpie

Instructions to Lead Lesson: Discuss line drawings, talk about negative space.  Discuss how different lines can add texture to an art piece. Demonstrate how to write block letters.  I learned the easiest way was to have the children lightly write their letter then trace around it.

Step 1:  Draw the first letter of your first name in block form at the bottom of the page.

Continue filling the page up with all the letters of your name.  Mix them up, but always have them touching. Color in the letters with marker.

Step 2: Talk about the different textures different lines can have.  Discuss again negative space. Make areas of negative space by drawing lines between each letter.

Step 3:  Fill in the negative space with different line patters.  

Credit: http://www.deepspacesparkle.com/2009/07/02/line-drawing-part-iii-name-designs/
Docent:  Kristin Wallace

Pumpkin in Contrast ...a Positive and a Negative Side

Pumpkin in Balance...a Positive and a Negative Side 

Medium:  Oil Pastels

Reason for Lesson: This is a lesson on Balance, and negative and positive space

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Class Time:  1-hour

Materials:  

• 12x18, or 9x12 Base Construction Paper, 
• 9 x 12, or 9 x 6 Orange Construction Paper, 
• Scissors, 
• Glue/Glue Stick
• Pencil
• Black Oil Pastel, or Black Crayon, or Black Pencil
• White Oil Pastel, or White Crayon, or White Pencil
• Raffia

Instructions to Lead Lesson: 

Step 1:   Cut out half side of Pumpkin.  Cut out two blocks in bulk of pumpkin.  NOTHING is garbage!! ... save it as it's the Reverse Side of picture (Negative Side)

Step 2:  Aligned and glue down positive side of pumpkin, then do exactly the same on negative side of pumpkin

Step 3:  Using Black and White Oil Crayons, color in base paper in shapes and lines using white crayon and use the black crayon on the orange paper.  Be sure each side reflects the other.

Step 4:  Optional...add raffia to finish off top.

Credit:  From Art-A-Baloo Past Resources