Miss Bierne's Art Room

This was another peer taught lesson on 3D art. We talked about the difference between 2D and 3D art and we also learned about the sculpture Claes Oldenburg. We created 3D fish out of construction paper for our project. We folded and cut the construction paper to create our fish. We cut slits in the construction paper and glued the folded areas to make the fish 3D. Then we cut out eyes, fins, and a tail to finish off our fish. As an extension activity the students could research and create their own 3D animals from different types of the world. They could then present them to the class and talk about what they learned about their animals. We can also use the 3D animals to talk about different habitats and the animals in them.

This was another peer taught lesson that integrated Social Studies and Language Arts into art. We learned about the symbols of America such as the flag, bald eagle, the Statue of Liberty, and the Liberty Bell. In class we created an agamograph that included two different American symbols. As a class we drew an American flag and then we each picked our second symbol, I chose the United States Seal. An extension activity that the students could do would be to draw images that are antonyms.As a class we can do one word together and the students would draw an antonym for that word. This would be a great way to teach antonyms and opposites.

For this project we learned about the history of weaving and how different cultures and countries use weaving. We each got a cardboard loom and a needle to make our own coasters. We weaved the needle with the yarn over and under on the loom. Once the project was finished we took the coaster off the loom and tied the ends. This was a fun, relaxing project that I really enjoyed creating. As an extension activity the students could research the various cultures that utilize weaving. They can create classroom presentations and work together to make the different types of weaving that the people create.

Another peer taught lesson was on the use of clay. We learned about Georgia O'Keefe, she was known for her paintings of large flowers. We started by kneading and rolling out the clay, then we used a process called subtracting to create our flowers. Then we placed our flowers in a bowl to make it easier to paint. We used a self drying clay so we didn't have to use a kiln. An extension activity that students could do would be to trace their hand on the clay. They could then use the process of addition to add things that represent themselves. This would be a good way for students to introduce themselves.

This was a lesson I taught to the class on mosaics. I taught about the history of mosaics starting with the Greeks and Romans. We talked about subject matters for mosaics and how to create the artwork. To start I had the students  brainstorm what ideas would make the best mosaics related to the theme of summer. I then had the students draw their designs on a plain piece of card stock, the glue didn't soak through the card stock as easily as plain printer paper. The students then began gluing construction paper on their design to create their mosaics. The students could create a mosaic of their names as an extension activity. This would be a good project for younger students or at the beginning of the year when students are still getting to know each other. They could use their favorite colors and use it as an introduction tool.

For this project we experimented with a form of printmaking called mono-printing. We used gelli plates, brayer, stencils, and acrylic paints to create our prints. We also learned about two different printmaking artists, Andy Warhol and Helen Frankenthaler. For my prints I used stamps and then printed over my originals with a stencil. It was fun to try new designs and techniques to make unique prints. As an extension activity students could go on a nature walk and look for different types of leaves. The students could then create prints with the leaves. This would be a nice way for students to learn about leaf types and integrate the printmaking.