The CIRCUS is in town!

The last week of school was quite busy but we had enough time and left over construction paper scraps to create some circus animals!!

While the younger students made elephants the older kids took a crack at drawing a horse in motion. They did an amazing job! Check out the results after the jump~

Sketch book love

The year is coming to a close and while I was preparing for our exhibition I came across some interesting  sketchbook entries from my primary students. I'm never sure exactly what influences their drawings but I know the video games and cartoons play a role. 

Jellies

So here are some of the results of this project.  I loved this fun project, the kids reaction to dripping paint as tentacles was right out of a magic show! 

Deeper Thinking

This week I read an EdWeek article here about 'Asking the right questions' in the classroom. This article speaks to gaining deeper meaning from a discussion instead of simply regurgitating answers.

I prefer using Bloom's Taxonomy while teaching art history/appreciation and the authors of this article provide some great examples of prompts and teaching behaviors that will elicit more valuable thinking and responding by students.


"When effective questioning is commonplace in the classroom, students grow more confident in evaluating how new information connects with what they already know. "
Elizabeth Stein

Jellyfish

How awesome are jellyfish? They are on exhibit right now at the Shedd Aquarium here in Chicago. I have only a couple of weeks left with my students and although I have not been out to see the exhibit yet we have got to create some jellies in art! NOTE: The exhibit only goes until May 28th!
For my own use, and yours if  you like:



And finally this lesson from DeepSpaceSparkle is what I will begin with, we'll see where it takes us in the art studio!

Here comes the . . .

Well look at that, the sun is out! I am going to drop everything and finish that bridge. As you can see I've started a new painting in anticipation of the completion of the bridge painting. The orange is my new favorite, right next to my new favorite wardrobe color - jewel tone purple. Also, you'll note that the alley god's distant cousin and my new best friends, the loading-dock gods, have left me a gigantic new canvas just waiting for the next big idea. Thank you universe for making my day. 

Sketch books

A couple of weeks ago I went on a school tour with my second graders (and their sketchbooks) looking for different types of lines. We visited the music teacher and she had the most fun homemade curtains!

One of the students took a sketch of the lines she observed while looking at the curtains. 

I usually get bent out of shape over sun rays, don't ask why, but not these sun rays, they are inspired by the curtains! how can you not love this interpretation?