We began this project by reading, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus as a class. We talked about the art room rules and why they are important. Then each student completed a worksheet where he or she wrote out the rule and drew a picture to go along with it. Finally, we drew a mustang (the Monroe school mascot) together and students individually added the necessary objects and props. I typed up the captions that go along with each piece and attached them to their projects. Read the artist statement on Artsonia to see what each Mustang is doing. 

CLICK HERE for more student artwork. 

1st graders began the project by comparing and contrasting famous self-portraits throughout history. Each student then brainstormed a list of career possibilities and appropriate clothing and accessories for each job. Finally, they drew and measured a proportional self-portrait and added details relating to their future career choice. 
See more student work here: https://www.artsonia.com/museum/gallery.asp?project=1599510



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See the portraits we looked at in class below:

In 1st grade, we read the book Tacky the Penguin and had a discussion on the importance of being original and different. The students discussed their own traits or interests that make them different and thought of how they could depict these qualities in their penguin drawing. Students, then learned about artist have drawn portraits in profile and the history of a profile view in art.  With all this knowledge students drew a penguin in profile add their own unique details. 
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CLICK HERE to see more student work

First grade students learned about the artwork of Andy Warhol, specifically, his Campbell's soup can prints. We also looked at the art of contemporary artist Lindsey Wohlman, who created a series that visualizes the insides of Warhol's soup cans through gelatine-mixed freestanding soup sculptures (visit the link below to see her work). 

Students used the resist watercolor technique to create their alphabet soups and added a short word or phrase made out of "noodles" to their soup spoon. They collaged their work together and added shadows to make their work appear three dimensional.  

To see more student work click here!

First graders read the book I’m the Best Artist in the Ocean. We discussed the difference between abstract and realistic art using images from the book. Finally, each student created a squid drawing something they felt they were good at drawing. Using a special salt watercolor technique and cool colors, students painting their backgrounds. 

Take a peek at the book we read here: ​Click Here
To see more student work click here

In 2nd grade, we looked at the art of famous portrait photographers who depict extreme emotion. Students explained different  situations in which they felt various emotions. Finally, the children chose four emotions to depict in their photo strip.  Using the app Grimace, students created different facial expressions by combining emotions on the sliders. Then they then drew their face four times depicting the different emotions. 

Click here to see more student work. 

Inspired by artist Henri Rousseau, students created a jungle scene with an animal of their choice. Students chose an animal and followed a directed drawing on the iPads. Then they created a background using watercolor pencils and markers. Finally, they collaged jungle leaves on top to disguise their animal like Rousseau does in his paintings, shown below. To see more student examples click here!

1st-grade students studied the art of El Greco, specifically his painting, View of Toledo (shown below). They each mixed different values of blue to create their blue sky background and created grass showing texture. Finally, after creating small houses for their scene they collaged all their pieces together to make their own original view of Toledo.

Click here for more student work

First graders learned the difference between shapes and forms and ways artists depict forms realistically in their artwork. They drew test tube forms and mixed the primary colors using a wet-on-wet watercolor technique to create the secondary colors. We then looked at bubbles and they learned how light interacts with them to create a rainbow effect. Finally, students created a bubble background using chalk pastels and all the colors on the color wheel. 

Click here for more student work!

Third grade students started by looking at famous examples of non-objective abstract art.

Then class created abstract sketches while listening to three rock songs. The students were to represent the music through line, shape, color and design. They picked their favorite drawing and used it to create a painting by mixing oil pastels and watercolors. Finally, the 3-5 students collaged their hands on top using the Green Screen iPad app. The final pieces will be hung up during Rock N Roll cosmic bowling in February! 
Listen to the songs we listened to here: ​